Vampire Mine
by Jillian K
Summary: AU. To settle a blood debt Eric's maker gives the young vampire to the faerie prince. 872 years later Niall has a gift for his vulnerable great-granddaughter. Eric is a slave to the faerie royal family and is very different from the vampire we know.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Vampire Mine

Author: Jillian K.

Summary: AU. To settle a blood debt Eric's maker gives the young vampire to the faerie prince. 872 years later Niall has a gift for his vulnerable great-granddaughter. In this one Eric is a slave to the faerie royal family and is very different from the highhanded vampire we all know and love.

Disclaimer: Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris and her publishers. This fic is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 1

Circa 1138

12th Century

The ancient roman vampire was callous in his advice.

"The boy is willful but a few weeks of being silver bound would probably help. Feel free to keep him hungry, in fact I advise it as a way of letting him know who is in charge. A weakened vampire is much easier to control than a fully functional one."

Prince Eochaid of the faeries inspected his prize. The vampire was about a hundred years old and had been a Viking chieftain in his mortal life. He was strikingly Nordic in looks with pale blue eyes and long flaxen hair that he wore unadorned. Ocella had him shed his tunic so he stood tall and unabashed amidst the group of warrior fae that accompanied the prince. Eochaid's young son Néall looked on the vampires with some trepidation. It had been his oldest half-sister who'd perished in the Ocella's arms. She'd gone to him willingly only to die little by little from the bloodletting.

It was because Benia had chosen the vampire that Eochaid could not rightfully ask for Ocella's life. The blood debt was to be settled with a life but not his own. The vampire had instead offered his only child in bonded slavery to the faerie prince who had no better option than to accept. After all Benia had been a troublesome daughter who was a source of embarrassment to the prince. Her early demise would bring a boon to her beleaguered family.

"Kneel slave!" the prince ordered but the Viking only stiffened. His maker's eyes darkened and he addressed him in his mother tongue.

"Do as he says Eirikr."

The vampire was still too young to even put up a token resistance to his maker's command and knelt on the packed earth. He braced his hands on the ground as the Eochaid nodded to the smith. The old faerie approached the charcoal filled brazier and removed the glowing branding tool carefully inspecting it for readiness. The tool was skillfully crafted from fine silver which would permanently mark the vampire's skin.

At the prince's word the smith pressed the searing metal against Eirikr's left shoulder. The skin burned and smoked as the vampire hissed in pain.

Only when the brand had burned deep into the layers of skin it was removed. The newly-marked slave trembled in pain but he did not cry out. His master had forbidden him to ever give voice to his pain.

And it was his master who consoled him by running his hand across Eirikr's pale face. Ocella had kept him close and rarely allowed him to leave the nest on his own. It was only when the faerie girl had entered their lives that he'd been relegated to the outside. She hadn't liked Eirikr and Ocella had done his best to please her. And now it was his life that would be forfeit for his master's pleasures.

"May I inquire as to where you intend to keep him?" Ocella asked casually as if he were inquiring about the weather instead of his child.

Eochaid signaled his guards who immediately flanked the kneeling vampire. "We will be returning to Faerie before daybreak. I have no intention of allowing any more unfortunate dalliances between my people and your kind."

Ocella laughed. "And yet you will take one of mine into the bosom of your royal house? Isn't that a bit imprudent?"

The prince narrowed his eyes. "On the contrary vampire, your former charge will not be embraced but kept at heel where he belongs. He will be made to serve us in every capacity we see fit no matter how demeaning he may find it. I will instruct my people of the inferiority of demons like him. Part of the allure your kind employs is based on our ignorance of how base you truly are. You child will change that." Eochaid promised grimly.

The vampire smiled coldly but did not rise to the insult. "I see. Well there is nothing else for me to do except to say farewell to my child." Ocella turned to Eirikr once more. "Behave and you may survive to see a change in your fortunes. I wish you well my Viking prince." He said and took to the sky. His debt had been paid in full.

Eirikr saw him go rightfully guessing that it would be centuries before they met again. By that time little would remain of the vampire he'd been meant to be.

His new master pulled him roughly to his feet. He was still hurting from the branding but the vampire would come to understand that being treated as a beast was now part of his lot in life. Silently he followed the faerie prince to the canopy of trees that concealed the portal to the land of the Faerie. His fate dangled before him like a grim and terrible specter.

TBC.


	2. Chapter 2

Present Time

Sookie Stackhouse was waiting for her own vampire.

Unfortunately in the little town of Bon Temps where she lived there was a dearth of the undead. Four years after the Great Revelation she had yet to come across a single one.

Generally speaking the members of this fascinating group chose to congregate in the more populated areas like the nearby Shreveport or Bossier City and there was always the attraction of New Orleans.

So on that Friday night she was completely taken aback to see one walk into her bar and into her life.

It really wasn't her bar but she'd been working at Merlotte's for so long that she felt very connected to the establishment. With her limited education and her disability Sam's bar had given her a type of haven where she got to earn both a living and a place in the Bon Temps community. She may have been known as Crazy Sookie behind her back but with time the patrons grew comfortable with her strange ways and wished her well. She was deeply grateful for this.

Sookie's life was quiet and unassuming. She lived with her grandmother and drove a car that had seen better decades. Her paycheck and tips went to cover the various expenses associated with living in a very old homestead with some left over for her needs and wants. So what if her wardrobe came from Walmart and the clearance rack at the Shreveport Macy's? She had a Gran that loved her and a home to come to every single night. She thought herself very lucky.

Her luck was about to run out and life was about to get very interesting.

XxXxX

Eric grimaced at the familiar pull that centered on the middle of his belly. No matter how often he'd been subjected to the jump between Faerie and the human world, it always made him slightly sick. Even so he had long since learned to bite back his objections. They would be ignored or worse he would be punished for giving voice to them.

He doubted that Claudine would have the stomach to do something beyond scolding him for his unwillingness. Her sister and brother were another matter. Eric had spent many a miserable night suffering the effects of Claudette's short temper or Claude's attentions. He'd been assigned to their family home for the past decade and many days had proved difficult for the vampire but being told that he was to be passed off again did not make him any happier. It scared him very much but there was nothing he could do to change it. He wasn't the master of his fate.

Eric stood still as Claudine inspected his outfit. In Faerie he made do with a few simple shirts and jeans but he'd been given some very nice stuff for this foray into the world. The dark leather jacket was especially becoming and Eric hoped that he could keep it once the assignment ended. Not that he knew exactly what the assignment was.

Niall had been quite cryptic in his words. He wanted a woman named Sookie Stackhouse to be carefully guarded. Apparently this woman had some form of connection to the fae and the prince had deemed her worthy of his notice. This did not bode well for the woman.

Attention from the fae did not bode well for anybody. His life was a pretty good example of that. He'd learned to keep his head down and do as they ordered. It was the best thing to do in the situation he'd been handed.

Claudine pulled out the collar of his white shirt and laid it over the jacket lapel. Her touch was clinical and detached as if Eric was no more than a tall mannequin she was dressing. He was accustomed to being treated in such a manner and it barely registered anymore. The fae thought him a soulless beast and made sure he knew it very well.

"Hold out your hand." Claudine ordered and Eric complied. The faerie drew small silver dagger from her bag and sliced Eric's left palm open. Thick blood welled in the folds of his hand but he remained still and merely watched the proceedings. After all it was just another scar in the growing multitude of them that marred his body.

He was not surprised to see Claudine's small red tongue lap at the blood. She may not have been cruel but she had a taste for his blood which had only grown throughout the years. Every so often she would bleed him and harvest the result. He didn't decry his wounds but wished he could for once decide what happened to his body.

Claudine licked the last few drops of blood from the cut. She closed her eyes briefly savoring the rich liquid as it travelled down her throat. Eric's blood, with its traces of fae that had long since made him a very unique vampire, was quite wonderful. She was going to miss having this commodity waiting for her at home. Oh well there was nothing to be done for it.

"I expect that I don't have to worry about you breaking any of the rules we have outlined for you."

Eric nodded and watched as the skin of his palm healed itself into a thin scar. Another one to add to his collection.

"Make contact with the girl but do not in any way alert her as to our involvement. Stay away from human blood and protect her with your life."

"Yes" he whispered. His head was down.

"Good. Don't fail at this otherwise you will be punished most severely. Niall will come to you when he deems it necessary but in the meantime you must form a connection to the girl. He says that this is very necessary to his plan."

Eric bowed as he'd been taught to do and Claudine smiled. He really was a singular creature. She was going to miss him for more than his blood.

Without another word she popped away from his sight. The vampire turned towards the bar and his destiny.

TBC.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As she travelled through the gate separating the human world from that of the fae, Claudine could not keep herself from feeling a slight pang of regret. It seemed that the blond vampire had grown on her over the years.

Niall had given Eric to the Cranes when Claudine was still a girl. At first the large, silent vampire had inspired fear and she'd only looked at him from the safety of her bedroom window as he moved about the grounds in the darkness. He was set the task of guarding the household as they slept and he walked about most of the night. She often wondered what he thought about during those lonely times. Whatever it was it did not seem to give him any peace.

Around daybreak he would retreat to his shelter and not emerge until the strongest rays of the sun had faded into the duller ones of late afternoon. It would still cause him some pain but after all these years he'd learn to tolerate the exposure. He was then subject to the whims of both Claude and Claudette for the rest of the day. Even though she was hardly more than a teenager her sister was especially harsh and loved making his life as difficult as she could. Claudine could not grasp this sadistic streak in someone she loved but she could not deny that it was there.

So when the days were especially difficult she'd gone out of her way to show the creature some kindness. He wouldn't talk to her but would listen as she rambled about something or other as he repaired their damaged well. She sensed that he found her "safe" in comparison to her siblings and could relax around her. Around that time she was growing taller rather rapidly and it made her clumsy. So it was not unexpected that she tripped and landed on the pile of discarded bricks.

She cried out and he let his tools drop to the ground as he scooped her into his arms. He carried her into her bedroom and set her on her bed to inspect the damage. Neither Claude nor Claudette were home.

The younger Claudine stretched across her pink coverlet and allowed the vampire to check the extent of her injuries. She had a deep gash across her left leg where a sharp brick had pierced the skin. Eric watched the blood trickle out of the wound with fascination. Pure fae blood.

She slapped him and he snarled automatically before he managed to contain himself.

"ERIC!"

He forced his eyes down. "I apologize Lady Orlaithe."

The girl wrinkled her nose. "Don't call me that. It sounds like a cat is coughing up a hairball. It's Claudine now."

Eric nodded and fell silent for a bit. Claudine wiped at the blood with her hand. "I think I will have a scar" she said despondently.

The vampire made a decision. "My blood has healing properties. It will help your skin mend without leaving a scar."

"Yuck. How awful, but I suppose it's better than the alternative. Let me have some then."

He bit into his own wrist until a few drops were coaxed out. His unusual diet had made his blood different in consistency from any other vampire. Eric offered the bleeding wrist to his young mistress.

Claudine gazed at the offering with suspicion but after an overly dramatic sigh began sucking on it. Eric's sweet, wonderful blood coated her tongue and she was hooked even before her wound had closed in full.

After that she took his blood on a regular basis. Each time she felt a little more connected to him although he did not seem to reciprocate the feeling.

No matter. He belonged to her family and thus he belonged to her. After this assignment she would ask Niall for full custody of him. The faerie prince never refused her and she did not anticipate he would start now. She was his favorite grandchild.

XxXxXxX

Sookie saw him as soon as he stepped inside the bar. A tall, blond and handsome stranger would catch anyone's attention but what really made her take notice was the way he walked. His strides were sure but he held his arms close to his body and his shoulders were slightly hunched. He was clearly on his guard and distrustful of his surroundings. Sookie would venture that he had been hurt badly at some point. But what was most remarkable was the fact that she could not hear any his thoughts. Not a single one. It was the first man she'd come across whose mind was a wonderful mystery.

Then again he really wasn't a man. He was her long-awaited vampire encounter.

The waitress ran a quick hand through her ponytail and bit on her lips to give it a little color. Looking down on her uniform she noticed a yellowish, grease stain near her chest. That must have been the double order of onion rings she'd carried to one of her tables almost ten minutes ago. It couldn't be helped so she put on her best smile and walked up to the mystery man.

"What can I get for you sir?'

Eric's reaction to her voice was almost physical. The soft melody of her southern accent combined with the raw beauty of her form sparked something inside of him. It took him a few seconds to figure out what it was that that had struck him about the girl. He'd sensed the innocence in her. For many years he had lived amidst a cruel race had been kept him far away from anything as pure and lovely as the woman standing before him.

"Sir?' she tried again.

He had to shake his head slightly to clear his mind. "I'm sorry. Ah…could you please bring me a bottle of the blood supplement that you carry."

"Unfortunately we have none. My boss had ordered a case but since we never got any patrons asking for it he never renewed his order."

"I see. Then can you please bring me a glass of water?"

Sookie nodded and rushed to the kitchen to fill his order. Eric settled back in his booth and took a deep breath. She even smelled untainted.

A minute later she was back carrying a tall glass filled near the brim with water. Eric took it before she could put it down.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome sir. Can I bring you anything else?"

He shook his head but his eyes remained centered on hers. She could see the deep blue irises flecked with a little black. They were really pretty eyes. A person could get lost in them.

"If you need anything else let me know."

Eric watched her go. Her walk was graceful as was everything about her. With some reluctance he turned to his water. The cool, clear liquid had the faint smell of chlorine which was to be expected of treated water. Water in Faerie had been pure and had come straight from the river that ran throughout the area. He reached down to his pocket and removed the small amber glass bottle that he'd been allotted for this mission. The vampire unscrewed the top and carefully removed the dropper which had suctioned a single drop of the contents. He let the substance fall into his cup. The deep red tear trailed down the glass and spreading until the contents were tinged pink. It was ready.

He sipped at the watered down blood slowly allowing it to coat his insides. It was all he was allotted for his sustenance and his body had adapted to living off a single drop of his master Niall's blood every night. Eric was always left very hungry but it was something that he had long since come to accept as part of his lot in life. No one else would give him anything else and he was powerless to seek his own provisions.

His eyes sought the girl and found her balancing a pitcher of beers and four mugs on a tray. She was heading towards a table of young men who'd clearly had too much to drink. They hooted and hollered at the pretty waitress displaying their obvious attraction in rather rude terms. Sookie tried to discourage them with a glare that probably cost her a substantial amount of tip money but they remained undeterred. Eric hissed at the louts under his breath. He felt his heckles rise.

Sookie put down the tray and distributed the mugs while picking up the used ones. One of the drunks took the opportunity to run a hand across her backside and Sookie froze.

From his position in the opposing booth he could see that her eyes narrowed in indignation and her face grew redder. She was just about to lay into the guy when Eric flashed from his spot and grabbed the oaf by the neck as if her were a weak kitten. The boy barely had a chance to draw breath as the vampire threw him to the floor painfully.

Sookie gasped but leaned a little closer to the vampire who'd decided to stand up for her. Unknown to her, her closeness helped to calm him down and his growls settled into a soft rumble of displeasure for the unfortunate man.

She smiled in gratitude. "Thank you sir but you shouldn't have done that."

"I will not allow a lady to be disrespected in my presence and you are especially worthy of respect."

Sookie didn't reply to that except to blush rather prettily. He liked that.

Sam had come out to see the commotion. His sharp eyes took in the scene and figured out what had just occurred. He walked out the still dazed patron and his companions to the door telling them never to return to his establishment again. After making sure that they heeded his order he returned to Sookie who was now clearing the table of its many beer bottles. The vampire was at her side watching her in earnest as she went about her work.

This was something that Sam did not like at all.

TBC.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Eric did not trust the strange, non-human before him. It had a definite canine stink which offended Eric's highly developed sense of smell making him wrinkle his nose in disgust. The mangy cur also had the gall to look on him disapprovingly. How dare he? He may not have been free but at least he didn't carry fleas.

It was obvious that the dog felt a sense of ownership when it came to his assigned charge. He was talking to Sookie and as he did so he gradually pulled her away from the vampire towards the other side of the room. Said vampire did not like this at all. The drunken humans had been easily disposed of but this unfamiliar animal may very well prove to be a challenge.

He growled softly but he was certain that the dog picked it up without a problem because he could feel the anger emanate from him. Too bad, his master wanted Sookie to be guarded and Eric was more than willing to watch over the intriguing girl. In fact he was looking forward to it.

Claudine's warning resonated in his mind so he discontinued his display of aggression. With some effort he quieted down and returned to his booth to finish his drink. He would wait until the girl's shift was over and follow her home. Then he would explore the type of territory he would have to cover to ensure her safety.

A couple of hours later the only patron that remained was a rather large woman who had parked herself near the bar. He heard Sookie calling for someone to pick the innebriated female up and then the waitress started arranging the chairs on the table. Eric rose without a word and took over the task.

"You don't have to do that." She said mildly embarrassed.

Eric continued his work undeterred. "You seem rather tired and besides I've been sitting at your table for a very long time nursing a glass of water and you did not say anything. I think it's the least I can do."

Sookie smiled broadly. "It was pretty slow tonight so you weren't taking a table we needed. In fact I have to say that I am very excited to have met you. You are my first vampire. Well that is, you are the first one I've met"

He set the last remaining chair on top of the table and turned to her with a mildly amused look.. "I'm your first vampire? That is quite the responsibility bearing the torch for my kind. I hope I don't disappoint you since I am not necessarily your typical vampire."

"How so?" she ventured to ask.

"It's a rather long and pathetic tale that is not worth the telling- at least not tonight."

Something dark and gloomy passed over his countenance making Sookie felt that whatever he was keeping to himself caused him great pain. Her Gran had told her that people who bottled up hurts only made them fester until they sickened the entire soul. She agreed with her Gran.

Wanting to know more about this man, Sookie tried her best smile and held out her hand. "I'm Sookie Stackhouse"

After a bit of hesitation the vampire caressed her fingers with his own. "I'm Eric."

She giggled. "Just Eric? You mean like Madonna or Michelangelo?"

"No, I suppose not. I belong to the Brigant family." He said with a modicum of bitterness that she did not catch.

She rolled the name in her tongue. "Eric Brigant. It's a lovely name and I think suits you."

The slightest of smiles ghosted over his face at the compliment. "If you say so."

At that moment the inebriated woman's escort arrived to take her home. Sookie nodded to him and tried to look away as he guided his mother away from Merlotte's. With her work done she excused herself to retrieve her bag from Sam's office. She found her boss tabulating the day's take.

"Is the vamp still out there?"

Sookie nodded and turned to the drawer where she'd put her bag for safekeeping. Sam paused in his task and regarded Sookie as she searched unsuccessfully in her bag for a mint. He offered her a piece of cinnamon gum instead which she accepted gratefully. As she chewed nervously, Sam voiced his concerns.

"I don't like having an unknown vampire hanging around my bar especially one that spent hours staring at my employee."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Eric's been nothing but polite the entire time he's been here."

"There are no 'good' vampires Sookie. They are only those that haven't gotten around to drinking your blood yet."

She saw red. "Sam Merlotte that is one of the most prejudiced statements I've ever heard. Vampire's have been out of the closet for a while and there has yet to be a single incident in which a vampire has attacked a human being. They aren't monsters but simply people who have different needs than us. Nothing wrong with that."

The shifter placed his hands flat on his desk and rose to his feet. Sookie was standing in front of him with her head held high and her eyes blazing with burgeoning frustration. She was especially sensitive to those that were vilified simply for being different from the norm. Someone who was as normal and well-adjusted as Sam could not relate to being an outsider.

"All I am saying Sookie is that you shouldn't be so open to accepting a vampire before knowing what their true intentions are."

"I'm not that much of a fool Sam. I know how to take care of myself. Good night" she said as she left the office in clearly irritated strides. Sam looked after her with concern written in every line of his face.

"I really hope so Sookie."

XxXxXx

He needn't have worried too much for when Sookie stepped out into the bar she found it empty. The vampire had apparently chosen not to wait for her. With a sigh of dissappointment, Sookie stepped into the balmy Bon Temps night.

XxXxXx

From his spot by a dense Catalpa tree, Eric was slmost invisible. He watched attentively as the pretty waitress drove away in a yellow car that had seen better days. It wouldn't be difficult to follow such a slow going vehicle and although Eric couldn't fly he could run very fast. So after taking a deep breath he let his body do what it loved to do and in a few seconds he'd caught up with Sookie who was making the turn to her homestead.

She parked the car in a driveway that was in need of repair and exited the car. He watched as her toned legs sprinted up the rickety wooden stairs of her porch. Her ponytail bounced on each step until she stopped at the doorway to retrive her key from the purse she carried. She inserted the key in the lock but paused before turning it. The vampire stood still as she glanced behind her. Her eyes searched the pitch black night for whatever had caught her attention.

She felt his presence although the surrounding foliage camouflaged his body perfectly. Something in him was inadvertently calling out to her-willing her to notice him. With some effort he managed to tamper down on this silly desire and she entered her home.

Eric gripped the thick trunk of the tree that was sheltering him resting his forehead against the rough bark. What was happening to him? He'd spoken to the girl only for a few minutes and been in her presence only for a few hours. Why had this affected him so?

She wasn't the first human woman he'd been exposed to since his enslavement had begun. In the mid eighteen-hundreds he'd managed to escape faerie for a period of eleven years. He'd been succesful in evading his masters for so long only by the fact that he'd found employment in a travelling circus and never stayed in any place for too long. During that time he'd come across dozens of willing human females who did not mind sharing their blood and beds with the circus' handsome acrobat. In all that time as a free man none had quite affected him as this little Southern girl had except for one but she was lost to him.

That time he'd been found by Lochlan and Neave who'd kept him with them for fifty years after that by order of Niall. He didn't like to think about that time.

TBC.

Thank you for the wonderful reviews. And for those that have asked I have not abandoned Controlled Conditions. I have a chapter that is almost completed which will be posted sometime this week. Thank you for all the Sheriff Bill ideas. They have helped me come up with something that may work in this story. Also notice that Eric was in the human world during the Victorian Era. I wonder which lovely lady hails from around that time. Hint, hint.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Pam Ravenscroft looked supremely unimpressed as the Sheriff of Area Five tried to explain away the drop in revenue coming from his various businesses while at the same time generating some enthusiasm for his new venture. He kept hammering on the importance of creating a secure database where vampire lines and connections could be traced. Personally she didn't see the appeal of creating such a thing. In fact it seemed utterly dumb when most vampires were very well aware of their roots and heeded their master's call even centuries after they were made.

At least that was what she'd been told. She hadn't heard her master's call in almost a hundred and fifty years.

Good grief, the bore was showing her projected revenue charts and claiming that he would revolutionize networking between the undead. Fucking Bill. Didn't he know she'd rather swallow rancid blood than have to listen to him prattle about 'his' efforts?

Pam deeply regretted her queen's decision to give this important area to some second class vampire like Compton. The man had no leadership skills and was more likely to inspire contempt over respect among those that happened to live under his jurisdiction. Over the last few months a large number of vampires had decided to take off for better pastures rather than suffer under Sheriff Bill. Sophie-Anne had noted this and had sent her second-in-command to investigate the reasons behind such a disquieting trend. Pam had taken one look at Bill's books and had realized that if she'd had to live in his area she'd moved on by now.

Now he was going on about how he was going to promote his database and try to garner some funding. Yep he wanted Sophie-Anne to invest. At her look he wisely changed the subject.

This had to stop as it was too pathetic. "So aside from pipe dreams about databases that may or may not sell you have nothing?" She said in her most cutting tone.

Bill swallowed visibly. "This area isn't New Orleans. All we have are hicks and rednecks who barely have any money to scrape by. It's no wonder that the place has suffered some heavy financial setbacks."

"Blah, blah, blah. You're just not cutting it Compton and this is very unfortunate considering that area five is only second to New Orleans in earning potential. You need to turn things around and fast before you lose what you have and I am not just talking about your position. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?"

The sheriff nodded and turned off his projector. He should have known that he wouldn't be able to distract Pam Ravenscroft with things like a fancy market analysis and promises of future earnings. The bitch was all about the here and now and how much.

Said bitch was looking about probably planning how she was going to liquidate his office especially his state-of-the-art computers. Rumor had it that she was ready to leave Sophie-Anne and was gunning for a suitable position. Sheriff of Area five was probably her preferred choice.

Well he wasn't about to go down so easily. Even if she was already making plans as to her future in his area.

She looked about his cramped warehouse office were all of his hardware was stored. "You know Bill. I've always thought that what a place like Shreveport needed was a little bit of fun. Maybe some kind of dance club or even a bar."

He gripped tightly on a projector remote. "There are dozens of bars in Shreveport Pam"

"But not a vampire bar. Just think about it. Humans are fascinated by our kind and we love to drink theirs. I daresay we should let them pay for the honor and line up a few willing donors as well."

She was really into it and she even did a little spin in her pink designer pumps, her imagination taking flight.

"There would be some overpriced drinks with kitschy names and maybe souvenirs could be sold. Humans are known for buying all kinds of crap that they don't need just to say they'd been in a certain place. I bet whoever sets that up would make a killing in more ways than one."

Bill looked disgusted but kept his tongue. Pam was too high up in the Louisiana court to piss off. Sophie-Anne held her in high regard and trusted her opinions. She could get Bill dismissed from his position if she really set her mind to it.

If Pam noticed Bill's obvious displeasure she decided to ignore it. Instead she continued with her plans. "I would name it something silly but with bite like 'The Last Drop' or maybe 'Bloodvine'. Things like that are bound to attract tourists like maggots to rotting flesh."

"So where would this remarkable bar be?"

The female vampire thought for a second. "There are plenty of strip-malls in this area that would be suitable. I would have to find one that is close enough to a major highway and thus accessible to patrons from other areas. The businesses adjacent to it should be ones that close early in the evening which would give us a modicum of privacy and plenty of parking spaces."

"I can see that you have thought this out."

Her smile was very disquieting. "There is nothing wrong with a little planning Bill especially if the idea is good one."

He let that sit for awhile. Pam looked entirely too pleased with herself and this did not bode well for him. "So I take it that you want to move to Shreveport or will you prefer one of the more rural areas."

"Either Shreveport or Bossier, I haven't decided."

"And Sophie-Anne?"

Pam wrinkled her nose delicately but her eyes turned hard. "I think that's between me and the queen. Don't be so inquisitive Mr. Compton."

The sheriff bowed contritely. "I apologize for my forwardness and my presumption. Clearly the matter is of a personal nature."

"Clearly."

A few minutes later Pam stepped out of the building leaving Bill behind to his work. Their meeting had lasted but half an hour but she'd had enough of the Sheriff of Area Five. She could not help but think that this position would be better suited to a more impressive vampire. Someone like her long lost master perhaps.

It wasn't in Pam to dwell in her more painful memories but in the quiet night she thought back on her maker. She remembered his beauty and strength but most of all she remembered the haunted look in his eyes. Eric'd always struggled with something that caused him great pain as well as surges of anxiety which she found hard to understand. He was a vampire and yet he was terrible afraid of something he would not share with her.

Pamela had first seen "Leif the Incredible" when she was still a young and innocent girl going with her nanny to the Lord George Sanger Circus. She'd been enraptured by the crowds, and the trained animals but most of all by the tall trapeze wires that would hold the acrobats as they performed wonderful aerial feats. There were five acrobats but the most impressive was the large, blond man in the swinging trapeze.

He would begin the show by standing still on the middle of the rink. He was clothed in dark thighs and a black satin cape that shone brightly under the stage lights. His hands would rise into the air as the trapeze swing lowered itself into them. After a brief pause he grabbed the bar and allowed it to lift him several meters into the air all the while twisting and turning his body until he was balanced horizontally on his thighs alone. Pam gasped as he was swinging so fast that it looked as if he were flying and in a second he was but managed to catch the other bar just before gravity had its way.

The second bar was slightly longer and 'Leif' spun rapidly along its course. The muscles in his body rippled with each exertion as the cape was allowed to fall into the crowd revealing his marble chest and arms.

Young Pam felt an unfamiliar pang below her belly and under her tight corset. Her tender heart beat a little faster. She'd never seen another man like Leif before and his effect on her was very physical.

He was standing on the bar and his body was on level with the audience in the stands. He used his arms to create momentum as the swing picked up height and speed. When he was almost horizontal he allowed his body to fall forward into the air only to catch himself by his left ankle. Leif swung a couple of times like this before allowing the rest of his leg to grip the bar. The crowd roared appreciatively.

After a few more breathtaking twists and turns the bar was finally allowed to lower unto the floor and the acrobat landed on his feet and gave a deep bow to his audience. As expected the enthusiastic claps and cheers followed at his wake as the rest of the acrobats took their place on stage.

That night in her family home, Pam could not forget what she'd seen but it would be three full years before the circus returned and by then Pam was no longer a child but a budding young woman. She did not need her nanny to go to the circus with her. In fact her nanny had retired a few months ago and had not been replaced. Pam's father had decided that it was time to find his daughter a suitable match.

With trepidation overrun by excitement, Pam rented a Hansom cab and left her house one evening when her father and mother were out on social calls. It was almost an hour before she reached her destination but all the while she could only think of seeing him again.

She bought a ticket but instead of finding her seat she exited the tent and with a more daring purpose in mind. It had rained recently and her blue-velvet skirts were suffering the muddy field were the circus had stopped but she traversed it uncaringly. Her eyes focused on the throng of caravans which housed the performers.

Finding his caravan in the dark proved to be a little challenging as he had chosen not to personalize it as the others had done with renderings of themselves performing their craft. There were three unmarked ones and she waited near each one until the owner emerged. On the third one she was lucky.

Leif had traded his thick black tights and cape for a full dark blue leotard and soft leather boots. His long blond hair was coiled in a loose braid with blue glass beads threaded into the plaits. He left his home and looked about campground towards circus. It was dark and torches flanking the great tent had already been lit. The far of flames made his blue eyes shimmer. He looked so beautiful that it took her breath away.

She must have made a sound because his remarkable eyes were on her in less than a second. Fear flashed briefly in its blue depths before he saw her for the young human girl she was and relaxed visibly.

"The performance is that way miss." He said as he pointed towards tent. His words were accentuated and deep which made her even more excited for some reason.

"I'm not here for the circus."

He blinked slowly. "Oh"

"I'm here for you."

How had the sixteen year old version of her been so daring she did not know. The only thing she knew that he'd been reticent at first and it would be another year before he saw her as something besides a bothersome brat. By then she understood that he was different and that she would never give him up. The fact that he was a vampire never bothered her a bit.

They'd been living together almost two years before he took her blood. She'd grown jealous of his visits to the local tramps for his nourishment and demanded that he drink from her. He hadn't wanted to but she'd used a kitchen knife to cut into the skin of her breast. The temptation of fresh blood had been too much and he'd buried himself on her making each of her cells fire with delight at her accomplishment. From that night onwards she felt the connection between them. With a ready source of food available Eric relaxed a bit more keeping her close but not so much that he shared the secret that he guarded carefully.

Even so Pam loved him. She understood that whatever he was keeping from her was riddled with pain. Every so often the haunted look in his eyes would chill her blood but she remained faithfully by his side hoping that she would be strong enough to allay his fears. She made a promise to herself that he would never be alone again.

But like most promises, that one fell to the wayside.

TBC.

I hope you liked this chapter. I know that it is a little different but Pam is an important part of this tale. Eric and Sookie will be back in the next chapter. Please read and review.

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next night Sookie was back slinging beers and burgers to the clientele at Merlotte's. Every so often she would look about the bar trying to catch a glimpse of long blond hair or pale white skin to no avail. Her mysterious vampire was nowhere to be seen.

Just before last call she realized that her anticipation had been for naught. He wasn't coming back. Maybe it had been a one time thing and he'd moved on to better pastures. After all who'd want to stay in Bon Temps when there were much better places to explore?

She did not know why it made her sad but it did. It might have been that she sensed that even for a vampire he was different and not readily accepted by his kind. He, like her, was an outsider and therefore someone with whom she could relate.

Sookie sighed and brought her last order to the table. It was occupied by her least favorite people, the awful Rattrays. They'd been barking orders at her all night long not to mention Mack Rattray's indecent thoughts that always centered on what he would do to her if he had the chance.

She put the pitcher down and tried to ignore Mack's pointed stare at her breasts beneath her white t-shirt. Denise missed it altogether due to her attention being entirely too focused on the figure that had just stepped through the door.

It was him. Just as tall, handsome and dead. He'd come back and she was delighted.

The vampire walked confidently towards her, his eyes were pools of blue and his braided hair glowed under the low bar light. He was so striking. Something unfamiliar stirred in her belly.

Without losing sight of Sookie, Eric sat at a nearby table and she all but danced towards it. A welcoming smile graced her slightly glossed lips and her ponytail bounced with each step she took. His face softened and a little of the tension in his body uncoiled. She was such a pretty sight.

"Hi! I'm glad you came back" she said with sincere enthusiasm.

He was surprised to learn that this gave him some pleasure. His tentative smile widened a bit so that the tips of his fangs were visible. "Thank you."

The sight of the gleaming fangs thrilled Sookie. "What can I get you? My boss has some True Blood on order but it will be a while before it gets here."

"That's all right. I'll have some red wine please."

"Coming right up"

In less than a minute she returned bearing a large mouthed wine glass halfway filled with Cabernet Sauvignon which she placed carefully in front of him. Eric took the stem in his hands and swirled it around carefully to aerate the liquid. The distinctive aroma was agreeable to him as was the scent of the young human woman before him.

He brought the glass to his lips and sipped it. The wine coated his tongue and teased his taste buds. It was too new to be special but Eric found that he liked the slight sweetness. The fact that the bouquet also carried a bit of her made it even more agreeable.

Years under a strict diet of faery blood no matter how small the quantity had given him some abilities not shared by other vampires. The fact that he could consume other foodstuffs besides blood was one of the most striking.

From the corner of her eye, Sookie caught a glimpse of Denise Rattray looking pointedly at Eric and leaning into her husband. The waitress concentrated a bit and allowed her thoughts to seep into her brain. The results made her sick.

It was one thing to be the target of Mack's unwanted sexual deviances but when she picked up what Denise wanted to do to Eric her disgust rose to a previously unseen level. The horrible woman wanted his blood and would not hesitate to drain him dry in the process. Sookie did not know if that was possible but she never wanted to find out.

"Mr. Brigant, I just remembered that a case of synthetic blood arrived this afternoon. I haven't had time to unpack it but if you come with me to the back you can check if it is to your liking or if you just want to stick with the wine instead."

He looked at her quizzically for a few seconds before understanding dawned in his eyes. The vampire rose and followed her to the back without saying a word. Sookie heard Denise's frustration at her intrusion to her plans for the night. Apparently the Rattray's were several months behind in rent and their landlord was bringing them up in civil court.

Sookie led Eric behind a door and into the corridor leading to the kitchen and Sam's office. Once she knew that they wouldn't be heard she let it all out.

"Those people out there want to hurt you so that they can get at your blood. The woman is wearing a silver chain that they will drape across your body to weaken you while the man gets his equipment from the car. They'd done this before and have been successful but the victim rarely survives the process."

Something that looked like amusement flitted through his face. "And what do you suggest I do to prevent this from happening?"

She missed the look. "You have to leave. There is an exit all the way at the end of the corridor that leads to Sam's trailer. I will distract them while you get away."

"I see. And how is it that you became aware of their plans for me?"

She froze and he could see the panic in her eyes. Apparently her abilities were not something that she shared so readily but Eric had been briefed on her telepathy before leaving Faerie.

"I…I know that this is what they do. For them vampires are a commodity and they have managed to harm a good deal of them."

He decided not to press the matter and simply nodded. Sookie led him towards the back door and through the exit.

The night had gotten substantially chillier and Sookie shivered in her uniform. Eric slipped off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

"You don't have to do that, I'm going back inside."

"I don't mind. I'm impervious to the weather and besides I think the jacket suits you more than it does me."

The garment was several sizes too big but it made her look adorable as if she were a child trying on their parent's clothing.

"Thank you. Do you have someplace safe to go?"

"Your concern flatters me Sookie. I assure you that I am as safe as I can hope to be given my circumstances."

She did not know what to make of that so she let it drop. With much effort she asked what she'd been wanting to ever since she met him.

"Will you be staying in Bon Temps for long?"

"For the foreseeable future. There is something I need to do while in the area" he said while looking at her rather intensely.

"Oh"

"It is proving to be a pleasant task which I am coming to enjoy. Given the conditions of my life, I am deeply grateful for the chance." His hand reached down and took hers. She did not object.

"Okay."

"In anticipate that I will be seeing you quite frequently Miss Stackhouse. I hope that I find a way to repay you for your kindness tonight." The hand was brought to his lips and his lips grazed her fingers lightly.

"You don't have to." She muttered completely unaware where she was. Her world was taken up by the touch of his cool skin on hers.

"It is something that I find myself looking forward to." his hand released hers and in a flash he was gone.

Sookie let out the breath she'd been unaware she was holding. Even with the music coming from the bar she could hear the beating of her heart.

Not very far away, Eric leaned his body against a tree and set out to wait for the yellow car to make its way home. He still could feel the warmth of her skin on his lips.

TBC.

I know that nothing much happened in this chapter besides a little more Sookie and Eric interaction. There will be some more abilities that Eric's unique diet have produced in him and I look forward to exploring what these are. Thank you for your kind comments and please keep them coming.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

He supposed he should consider himself lucky because he almost made it to three weeks before he received his first visit from his keepers.

Eric had spent several peaceful hours lying on the soft ground staring up alternately at the stars and at the old farmhouse where Sookie Stackhouse lived. His quiet contemplation allowed him to learn her routine in a few days. Most of the nights she'd get home from her waitressing job sometime around one in the morning. From the way she carried herself as she walked he figured that her back was sore from having been on her feet for almost eight hours as she carried heavy trays back and forth. Her shoulders were slightly hunched and if he were to touch them he was certain her muscles would be hard from the prolonged tension of her chosen occupation. Sookie would then begin climbing the steps to the porch only to sit midway and stretch out her legs. She, like him apparently, could take some comfort from the beauty of the nighttime sky and would stare at it intently trying to lose herself in its vastness. In the low light her face would take an almost ethereal glow which made her even more pretty. It would only be a little while before she rose again and continued towards her home.

He knew that she would always shower before bed probably in an effort to get rid of the bar smells that permeated her skin. Then her bedroom light would go on and stay on for almost an hour. He guessed that she was reading or maybe combing through her damp hair. Around three or so the lights would go off and she would sleep.

Eric observed all this from his chosen spot. His mind alert for any perceived danger but nothing ever materialized. There were no strange sounds beyond those of the forest and the smells were those expected in the Louisiana swamps. Yet he remained vigilant and not only because he'd been ordered to.

Dawn would come and he would seek some shade but his centuries under Faerie's strong sun had made him somewhat immune to that of the earthly world. It would be uncomfortable but he would only begin to burn around the noon rays and even then he could stand the pain. Only around that time he would seek his shelter knowing that Niall had arranged a faerie guard until Eric could resume his watch.

The Brigants owned a great deal of land that for the most part remained undeveloped and wild as per their preference. In some places faeries had invested into local businesses and with their many talents they proved successful. Eric knew that their biggest moneymaker was a pharmaceutical laboratory in nearby Bossier City which they often used to fund research into making the faeries that chose to live among humans safer.

In the eighties there had been a lengthy foray into acquiring real state in certain areas of Louisiana. Investments were made in apartment buildings and several houses that were later resold at profit a decade later. However there were some properties that had never been sold and remained rentals. Among these was a slightly scruffy building in Shreveport. Eric had been allotted a small, barely furnished, basement apartment in the unit.

He returned to it every morning and after making sure that the single window was safely covered he would sink into his rest tiredly. This particular morning was no different except for the beautiful faerie woman he found sitting on his unmade bed.

Claudette's nose crinkled up in disgust at his disheveled appearance. He'd been sitting on the ground for most of the night and his clothes and hair showed it.

"Can't you at least manage to look halfway decent at least? Apparently it is not enough that you are a monster but must you be a filthy one as well"

The familiar sting of her words barely registered in his psyche. Claudette disliked him and took every chance she had to treat him cruelly. He'd grown used to her insults and let his eyes drop to the floor. He was never allowed to look at any of his faerie masters except Claudine straight on. They took it as a sign of disrespect and would punish him accordingly.

"Mistress" was all he said.

Claudette rose to her full height which was rather impressive. She was wearing jeans and a jeweled tank top in dark blue. Her black hair was coiled into a bun that sat low on her hair.

"I'm glad that you haven't forgotten your place vampire. I would have to have to remind you of it."

Eric's body bore the marks of Claudette's anger. She was the more volatile and easily offended of all the Cranes. He'd spent many a night in abject misery because of her.

"I will never disrespect you again mistress." He said softly.

"Good. Now tell me of what you have accomplished so I can leave this hell hole of a world."

"I've made contact with Sookie Stackhouse without alerting her of my intentions."

"Have you been insider her home yet?"

"No mistress. Miss Stackhouse has not invited me."

"You know full well that you were supposed to get the girl to trust you. You should have been invited to her home by now. Or aren't your so called charms up to par?" she hissed.

"Miss Stackhouse is not like other women. She offers friendship but not her bed."

A heavy hand slapped him across his face. "Are you trying to insinuate something you piece of garbage?"

"No mistress. I merely stated a fact in regards to my charge."

"Yeah right, it's not like you aren't the master of the double entendre. Well then it's good that I brought something with me to get you out of that little habit."

Eric breathed and tried to steady himself. He knew that he'd smelled silver on her and it would only be a matter of time before she would use it.

Without having to be told he removed his shirt and sank onto his knees in front of her. Claudette reached into her front pocket and took out a long silver rope necklace with heavy links. She placed it on his neck allowing for the links to fall on his torso. Every part of skin that the necklace touched burned and hissed. Eric closed his eyes and tried to will the pain away.

Claudette sank back into the bed and took out her cell phone. As she returned her many messages she would look at the vampire as he coped with the terrible pain. Thirty minutes went by before she lifted the silver off his body.

There were oozing wounds that circled his neck. The skin had begun to flake off in parts and he was bleeding. She knew that even with the silver removed it would be a long time before he would begin to heal and he would always bear the scar. This pleased her to no end.

"Hopefully that was a suitable reminder of your place in the world vampire. You are here to carry out orders and not give opinions on anything."

"Yes mistress." Eric whispered.

"Get closer to the Stackhouse girl. She must let you into her life very soon."

He nodded and allowed his head to drop into his chest. There were bloody tears swimming in his eyes.

"I will do my best."

"Not only your best but also the impossible. Stick to your mission or otherwise we will have you returned to Faerie and you know what awaits you there."

Imprisonment. Torture. Hopelessness. He knew all three very well.

"Yes mistress."

"I will return soon and you better have something by then."

He promised to do so and watched as she popped back to Faerie. With much effort he rose to his feet. Silver weakened him greatly.

Eric stumbled into his bathroom. The strong light showed him the extent of his injuries in the mirror. She'd been particularly cruel this time and although she couldn't hold a candle to Neave she was getting there.

His belly rumbled with hunger but he ignored it and returned to his bed. The vampire sank gratefully into the covers and tried to achieve his rest.

He hoped he was in better shape for tonight.

XxXxXx

Sookie knew that something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the bar. Although he was always pale this time he looked bloodless. She noticed that he sat carefully as if trying to keep his body for touching the contours of his chair.

Her vampire had been hurt and she wanted to know by whom.

The waitress carried a warm bottle of True Blood to him. He took the offering gratefully and finished in a few seconds. Sookie got him another one and another one after that.

"Will it help you?" she asked without having to be more specific.

"No, but at least it distracts me."

It was late and there weren't many people around. Sookie made a decision.

"Take my blood then."

TBC.

Thank you for your comments and encouragements. This tale is a bit hard to write because I want to show how badly Eric is treated without making him into this pathetic being. I hope that I am succeeding but let me know what I can do to make it better.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The noise and smells of the bar at midnight became a mere specter compared to the intensity of their linked gazes. Sookie saw the unvarnished shock in Eric's blue eyes and came to believe that her proposal had offended him. She was completely ignorant on the subject of vampire feeding. Maybe it was considered a serious faux pas for a human to be so forward with their blood. It could be that vampires chose their donors carefully and a waitress from a hick town wouldn't rate very high on the list.

And here she was offering herself to him like a two-bit tramp instead of waiting to be asked like a real lady would. Her Gran would be so ashamed of her. Stupid, crazy Sookie. He'd been nothing if not friendly and polite. Why did she have to go and ruin everything?

She tried to fix it. "I'm sorry if what I said was inappropriate. I didn't mean to put you in the spot. I get that I'm not necessarily a prize but you look like you could use something stronger than a True Blood tonight."

Eric's eyes dropped away from her flushed faced and focused on the bluish vein in the hollow of her neck. He could almost hear the rich blood as it travelled up from her chest with every beat of her heart. Thick with oxygen and It would taste sweet, warm and slightly metallic from the iron. When Pam had fed for the first time she said that it tasted like prime sangria laced with cooper coins. He'd laughed at her comparison knowing than in time all memories of human foodstuff would fade from sense memory. Blood would become everything.

He hadn't had human blood in more than a century.

Without thinking he pulled her to him gently and sat her accross his lap. Sookie felt his fangs descending and grazing at the sensitive skin of her neck. The cool and moist feel of them made the hairs on her arms stand. Her breath got caught in her lungs and the world narrowed down to the experience of him. He was so large and so male and so otherworldly. She was enthralled and tilted her head to allow him better access.

The girl was willing and Eric's fangs ached with need. He longed to pierce the delicate skin as he entered her gently and with care. Her delicious blood would flow into his mouth coating his tongue with its unique taste as she became a part of him. His body would come to know her intimately as the pain faded away into nothingness.

The fangs pushed in a little more. She felt the slightest prick and then the pressure was gone. The spell was broken.

Sookie looked about in confusion. He was still holding her but his eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply as if he were trying to bring himself under control.

"I can't." was all he said.

She rose slowly and left without saying another word. The vampire remained sitting and watched her go. He'd been so close to breaking one of _their_ malicious rules and one of the most important ones at that. There would have been hell to pay and he couldn't go down that route twice in one day and remain standing. He couldn't stay, at least not tonight when his urges might get the better of him. If he partook of her he would be lost and so might she.

He left.

XxXxX

It was almost two in the morning when Sookie placed the final chair on top of the table and turned off the lights. Her boss had been away for the past few days and she was in charge of the bar which included making sure that everything was alright at closing. The day's take had been put away and all the burners had been turned off. In the gloom the bar looked ominous. Sookie hurried out and carefully locked the door.

As she walked across the parking lot towards her car she thought of what had happened earlier between herself and the vampire. She was so distracted that she didn't sense Mack Rattray until he jumped out from behind her care and in one stride got close enough to painfully clip her in the jaw. He wasn't a large man but he did not hesitate in his aggression and the waitress went down onto the gravel painfully.

She managed to yell as she went down but the fall knocked the air out of her. She gasped for oxygen as Mack and his wife kicked her with the cruel precision as to inflict the most damage to vulnerable organs. Sookie curled up instinctively trying to limit the extent of her injuries. She could hear Denise's ugly laugh and Mack's excited grunts. They were really enjoying her pain.

"Come on bitch tell us the combination to Sam's safe and we promise to kill you right soon instead of making you suffer." The woman hissed without slowing down in her attack.

Shit they were going to rob her. Without thinking it twice Sookie grabbed Denise's leg and pulled her out of balance. The unexpected movement made Mack freeze in his efforts in order to help his wife back up.

Then they heard the growl coming from the trees.

"What the hell is that" Mack Rattray asked, the waver in his voice revealed that he was very much alarmed. Denise drew closer and both turned from the wounded woman towards the dark woods.

"Who the fuck are you?" Mack called out nervously. From another direction came a sort of snarl and Denise began wailing.

Sookie knew that something was happening but was too weakened to lift her head from the ground. She could hear the screams of both her assailants as well as a horrible ripping sound. The smell of blood filled her nostrils and she heard no more.

Some time later there was silence. She didn't know what had happened but the toads and crickets that had permeated the night were silent. Trying to take in some air she realized that a broken rib was pressing on her right lung. It would soon collapse under the pressure.

Sookie tried to lift herself off the ground but she was unable to get her legs under her. Her arms would not hold her weight.

If she couldn't get up there was no way to find help. She knew that the Rattrays had meant not only to hurt her but to kill her. Their damage would need serious medical treatment. Without it there was a good chance that she was going to die in the parking lot at Merlotte's.

Tears flowed unchecked down her face. She was in so much pain and felt so alone. She wanted her Gran and her friends and even her vampire.

She got her last wish.

XxXxX

Eric hadn't left Merlotte's but retreated into the heavily wooded area surrounding the bar. It was his intention to wait for Sookie to finish her shift and then follow her home as he'd been doing for the past weeks.

Then her scream had brought him flashing across the foliage towards the sound of her voice. He was faster that he'd ever been and in less that a second had lifted both Rattrays off her and proceeded to inflict enough damage on their bodies that they would never see another sunrise. Eric used his fangs to tear Mack's throat from his neck. The man's eyes budged out of his sockets at the terrible pain. The cartilage filled structure crunched delightfully in Eric's mouth. The vampire spit it out and turned towards Denise who had huddled into a ball of fright. He chose to break her neck and she crumpled at his feet in a lifeless pile.

He lifted Sookie into his arms and ran towards the only place he knew that she would want to go.

TBD

To all those that reviewed: thank you for your honesty. I asked for critiques and that is exactly what I received. I do apologize for my character assassination of Eric. I had no idea it was this bad.

I feel that I should rewrite it and tone it down. I toned down my other story but when I did that I found that I really didn't enjoy writing it as much anymore. I rather take VM down altogether. There are so many great offerings in this fandom which do justice to Ms. Harris' characters that are more worth your while.

I haven't made a decision so I will leave it up to you. I can take it down and rewrite it at some point in the future or I can take it down permanently and we will forget that it ever happened. If you prefer I can also continue my story as I originally envisioned it but it will probably get sadder before it gets any better.

It's all up to you. Don't worry about offending me. I rather stop the story than write something that people cannot enjoy and just cringe at like a bad accident.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Adele couldn't sleep. She'd gone to be sometime after ten with a book on the early Reconstruction era and a cup of sweetened chamomile tea. Both of these were usually ideal for a good night's rest but instead she found herself wide awake long after the clock had struck midnight.

This wasn't like her. She was always an early riser and thus was good at sleeping at a reasonable hour even on those nights when Sookie worked late but tonight it was not to be. At around two in the morning she gave up altogether and rose to heat some more water on the ancient kettle and nibble on a piece of blueberry pie.

She was halfway through her snack when she heard the loud thump outside the front door. Adele jumped instinctively and looked for her rifle. Bon Temps was a quiet town but even in quiet towns things could happen. The weapon was stashed deep in the hallway closet behind some old coats. She took it out and cocked it expertly.

And then she waited wondering if she should call 911 already. What if turned out to be nothing more than a greedy raccoon looking for a meal?

She heard the thumping again but this time it was followed by a moan.

"Sookie?'

Without thinking it twice Adele threw open the door only to come across one of the most startling sights she'd ever seen. Her young granddaughter was hurt and bleeding in the arms of a tall, blond man who looked a lot like a vampire.

The man raised his eyes and she knew that her assessment was correct. This was a full member of the undead community. Adele felt fear which was quickly overridden by worry for Sookie and anger. She lifted the rifle expertly.

"Now I know that this won't kill you but my father's Winchester can give you a world of hurt just the same. Put my granddaughter down you hooligan!"

Eric hesitated for a minute and his eyes flashed something that was hard to pinpoint. He looked down at his unconscious charge. Sookie was too injured to risk to human medicine. If she was to be well she needed something stronger.

The vampire's fangs descended and in an instant ripped through the skin at his wrist. Adele gasped when he brought the bleeding appendage to Sookie's lips.

"She needs to drink the blood. It will help her heal" he whispered and Adele understood somehow that he was being honest. The woman set her gun aside and fell to her knees in front of the pair.

Sookie was unconscious and not drinking the blood offered. The man shifted a bit and set her against his body. With his free hand he massaged her throat gently trying to coax her to swallow the liquid. At last she began to suck at the wound.

Adele Stackhouse had been privy to many a wondrous sight some which she would never admit to but seeing her beloved granddaughter heal before her eyes was the pinnacle for her. The color returned to her pale face and the reddish contusions faded away. Even the gashes closed without leaving any traces behind.

"Is she in pain?"

"No" was the vampire's answer. "She is not in pain anymore."

"Please bring her inside. She should be in her bed."

Eric rose slowly being careful to not jar Sookie's still unconscious form. His blood had restorative powers but she still needed to rest to be well. He hesitated briefly at the doorway but entered without any real difficulty. His forced reliance on the faerie prince for sustenance had apparently eliminated even this limitation.

Adele led him across the modest living room and down the hallway to Sookie's bedroom. As it was to be expected the room was a perfect mesh of innocence and feminine charm. The walls were painted in bright sunny colors and the quilt was a combination of lace and remnants of flowery fabrics. He lay Sookie down on it and Adele set about removing her sneakers.

"What happened to my granddaughter?"

Eric froze wondering just how much he should reveal to this woman. His instincts told him that this was someone of knowledge someone who knew more than she would let on. A wise woman.

He decided on the truth but not in its entirety.

"Miss Stackhouse was the unfortunate victim on an attended robbery. The would-be-thieves resorted to violence when she refused to give them access to the bar's take. I happened upon the scene and was able to help your granddaughter although I was too late to keep her from being hurt."

The woman gasped. "Oh my poor Sookie. Was the police called? Were those horrible people arrested?"

"They will not be a threat any longer."

Adele realized just what he was referring and for once she let her darker instincts rule her. An eye for an eye indeed.

"Good."

Eric nodded and helped Adele get Sookie under the covers. The girl remained asleep through the process.

"She needs to be kept warm. There was some blood loss which will affect her temperature for a while longer."

Adele brought out a blue knitted blanket out of one of the drawers in the wooden chest and laid it across Sookie's bed being careful to tuck in the corners around her.

"I wish I could get her into her night clothes but I think she will be fine if she sleeps in what she is wearing for tonight."

The vampire stepped back and listened. Sookie's heartbeat was growing stronger under the warmth of the covers. She was going to be okay. She wasn't growing weaker with disease like Pamela. He wouldn't have to turn her to save her life.

Yet the fact that she had gotten hurt while he was supposed to be protecting her made him sick. Her assailants were no more but they'd almost killed her. He'd been slow and ineffective.

He would pay for it. Of that he was certain. His masters never let any of his failures go unpunished. It wasn't the way of the Fae.

Since Sookie was resting comfortably, Adele turned her attention back to the vampire. Interestingly enough she wasn't afraid. She'd always been good at recognizing those with negative intentions but she did not get if off the creature. In fact he seemed completely focused on her granddaughter. Sookie had mentioned that she was becoming friendly with a vampire. She was certain that this was the one.

"Are you Eric?"

"Yes."

"I'm very grateful you were there for her tonight Eric. I cannot express the depth of my appreciation." She held out her hand. The vampire stared at it for a second before he extended his own. The soft, frail hand felt strange in his larger one. He really wasn't used to being touched except when he was being disciplined or suffering through Claudine's unwanted attentions. This time the sentiment was very different and he was taken aback.

"It's fine. I have to go now."

Adele looked straight at him and noticed that his light grey shirt was speckled with blood. "Why don't you let me throw that in the wash for you? It will only take a few minutes and I am sure I can find something for you to wear from the things my grandson left behind. If you don't wash blood right away it sets."

He was tempted to turn the offer down but part of him wanted to remain a little longer by his charge's side. Eric knew that she was healing but he wanted to be certain that it'd worked.

"I would appreciate it."

The older woman walked out of the room and towards the closet where Jason's clothes had been packed in boxes. She opened the one on top and looked through it until she found a black t-shirt that looked large enough to fit.

When she re-entered the room his back was to her as he shrugged out of his button down. Her eyes focused on the large brand covering his shoulder blade and froze.

She knew that mark.

She'd seen in before carved in a gold pendant that Fintan had tried to give her. She'd refused him being uncomfortable with a gift which was clearly expensive and therefore inappropriate. Fintan had tried to make her see the folly of her decision but she'd stuck to her guns. When he'd told her that it was a family heirloom her resolve had strengthened even more. Her children might have been one quarter faerie but they were to grow up thinking of themselves as Stackhouses and nothing more.

And here was this vampire clearly bearing the mark of the Brigant family on his skin.

She should not have left her rifle in the porch.

TBC.

I'm overwhelmed by the response to my previous chapter. Thank you so much for your kind words and your enthusiasm for this story. I was feeling very insecure about continuing it but now I feel that to stop would be a disservice to those that have taken the time to comment on it. So I will keep at it as I had originally envisioned it. I'm sorry that I have not replied to everyone personally but my internet access has been sporadic this week. But you have to know that you have inspired me which is something that I really needed. So please join me as I take Eric to his well-deserved happy ending which will probably include a few casualties of the faerie persuasion-Jill


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Adele Stackhouse expertly stirred the pork sausage in the cast iron pan while adding the dry grits to the pot of bubbling water on the adjacent range. The meat was supposed to brown lightly before the egg was scrambled in. The concoction would then be mixed with the cooked grits and topped with shredded cheese. It was her granddaughter's favorite breakfast food and after yesterday's ordeal she needed the extra pampering not to mention the protein. Eric had assured her that Sookie would be fine when she awoke but it was in Adele's nature to worry. Her beloved Sookie had been hurt very badly and if it wasn't for the vampire's actions heaven only knew what would have happened.

The vampire. Just that word sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine. It sounded so predatory and dangerous. The man himself struck her as being something else entirely. He was strong and indomitable but at the same time desperately vulnerable.

Last night, she had not slept at all. She'd lain awake, as she'd lain awake the night that Fintan had first shown himself to her. It was then that she'd learned what she had always suspected: the world was much more complex that it appeared. Faeries were real and so was magic. The younger Adele had embraced Fintan's nature and loved him for it. She'd also accepted the man in her bed for the wondrous gift that only he could grant her. Adele wanted to feel the stirrings of a child in her womb.

He'd kept his promise and she'd delivered two beautiful and healthy children. She'd been grateful but the guilt at her infidelity had eaten at her insides. Eventually she'd told Fintan to stay away and to protect the existence of their children from his kin at all costs. The half-fae had been hurt at her pronouncement but he'd complied with her wishes. Her children had been allowed to grow-up in peace and stability.

But now they'd learned of her grandchildren and just as she'd feared they were no longer safe. Fintan was gone and Neal's true nature was a mystery to her. Were his intentions good and true? And just what was the threat to her granddaughter that the vampire was here to combat? Eric didn't know and she sensed that he was being truthful. They'd sent him blind. Why would Neal do that?

"GRAN!"

The cry from the bedroom brought Adele out of her reverie. Quickly, she walked to Sookie's bedroom to find that her granddaughter had kicked her blankets away and was struggling to sit up. Adele arranged the pillows behind her to support her back and helped her down to them.

"Easy child. You had quite a night."

Sookie swallowed painfully. "I can't remember very well. There are flashes but nothing very clear. Was I attacked?"

Adele nodded as she combed Sookie's tangled hair away from her still slightly bruised face. "They hurt you bad."

Sookie did not reply. Her eyes wandered about the small room, searching for something or rather someone.

"Eric. I remember Eric was there. He stopped them. Where is he Gran?"

"He's sleeping." She said as she pointed towards the large closet. "He didn't want to be far away from you and so I offered him the hidey hole under the flooring."

Sookie's eyes locked on the wooden door. She'd known that he was near without needing to be told.

"Please help me up Gran. I need to see him."

If Adele was taken aback at her granddaughter's request she did not show it. With some effort she helped her gain her balance and they staggered towards the closet. Adele opened the door and eased Sookie to her knees while pushing the rug away. Sookie's hands trembled as she pulled the floor boards covering Eric's resting place.

Adele was just able to see that his eyes were wide open before Sookie launched herself at him. His arms unfolded in time to receive her falling form. She buried her face in his chest and after a brief second of hesitation he embraced her. Solid and strong he was her protector and Adele felt a little bit better.

She left them to it and walked back towards the kitchen.

XxXxXx

The hidey hole was too small to hold two people but they made do. Sookie's smaller frame was tangled around him. Her soft, warm skin pressed against his chilled flesh. He noted with satisfaction that her heart beat was strong and steady.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly.

She breathed deeply before she answered him, delighting In his distinctive smell. Grass, leaves and cool night air with just a hint of pleasant musk. "I'm alive- thanks to you."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't fast enough to keep you from getting hurt." His voice was heavy with regret.

She touched her fingers to his lips. "Shhh. You were wonderful. I don't know how I can thank you enough."

"I gave you my blood."

He thought that it would bother her having his blood without having had a choice but she surprised him with her girlish laugh. "I know. I feel you inside of me healing my pain and making me stronger."

His lips pressed against the crown of her head. "I was afraid that my blood would not be enough." He whispered into her hair.

"Why?'

This time it was he who took a breath. When he spoke again his voice was strained. "There are things that differentiate me from other vampires and I feared that it would diminish any quality my blood may have."

She lifted her head and looked into his beautiful eyes. There was something hiding it their clear depths - something lost and terribly wounded. "You mentioned that before. What makes you different?"

Eric remained silent. Could he trust her with the deepest, darkest part of his pain? She might shun him when she learned the truth about his condition. Or worse she might treat him like the others always had.

She'd treat him like a slave because that was what he was. What he'd been for centuries. Nothing more than property.

He made his decision.

TBC.

I am sorry that this took so long to get out. My muse has been affected by the hours that I am putting at work and not to mention the stress. Thank you so much for your kind comments because they are what keep me writing. So please drop me a line so that I know that you are still interested in this story.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Eric couldn't find the words. He struggled when telling her of that night when his master had traded his life away and never looked back. How could he connote the raw emptiness and heartbreak that still permeated his soul at his abandonment? His throat burned with the memory of the weeks when they kept him locked up and tied down like a beast while the prince decided just how he was going to deal with his new acquisition. He'd been a young vampire then. His hunger was a living thing in that empty cellar that was his prison. When they finally let him out he was so weak that he could hardly walk.

The decades that followed taught him how to submit. He became a guard, a soldier, a servant and other things he'd rather not think about. He was put to fight in their battles when they needed a warrior that could wield iron only to be set to scrubbing the stone floors after returning from a long campaign. On times of peace they made him circle their grounds endlessly looking for intruders and when he found them he was to surrender them without consuming a drop of blood. Any disobedience was swiftly and painfully dealt with.

Two hundred years into his enslavement prince Eochaid died in battle and his son Neal decided that the vampire should be moved amongst the many households in the family. Eric spent a few decades in one fae enclave, a dozen years in another. He was passed around so much that his existence became a constant effort to adjust and keep his masters satisfied.

Some treated him with a modicum of fairness while others believed him a monster that deserved being reminded of that fact constantly. During those harsher times he became a silent shadow. He did their bidding, dealt with the hunger and eventually erased himself altogether.

"I made myself die a second time." He said quietly.

Sookie's head was resting on his unmoving chest. The skin there was taut and cool to the touch but the corpse-like feel did not repel her as it should have. There was nothing as startling as the weight of his words and her eyes were wide open at the extent of his revelations. Sookie had thought that vampires were strong and formidable. They were the stuff of nightmarish fears and darkest passions but this vampire, her first, was so removed from that image that it confused her. He had been her savior but in reality he was the one in need of one.

She turned around and faced him. His expression was a grim mask and his eyes were dark and vulnerable. How had this man -this vampire survived through so much misery? Her fingers traced the contours of his face lovingly. He was so beautiful but so broken. It tore at her heart.

Eric fell silent. Sookie sensed that there was something he was grappling with, some admission that would impact her more than the ones that had preceded it.

"What can't you tell me?" she asked.

The vampire shut his eyes. Claudine had warned him of telling Sookie the reason behind his presence in her life. They did not want her to know of their interest in her. As a slave he was bound to his masters' will and it was to keep her in the dark.

But there was a little spark of defiance left in him that refused to die out. She needed to know the truth so that she could be ready for whatever the fae were to throw at her. It wasn't fair for her to be kept ignorant and therefore helpless.

"I was sent here for you." He said softly.

Sookie pushed herself off him. "What?"

He went on even though he knew that he was dooming himself with every word. "My masters wanted me to protect you from something, I don't know what exactly but the threat is likely very serious since you are to be under guard at all times."

She could not believe his words. "What do you mean at all times?"

Eric sighed. "A faerie guard watches you when the sun prevents me from doing so. He is here from the time I am forced to seek my rest until I can return to my duties."

Sookie's stomach twisted in fear and confusion. How had they been doing this without her noticing it? What did they want from her?

The vampire drew closer only to be met with her reluctance. Sookie pulled herself out of the hidey hole and settled in the ancient rug looking down at him warily. Whatever warmth she had been feeling for his plight was overcome by her alarm. In the space of a few seconds he'd gone from being an object of pity to one inspiring suspicion. Resigned to this new twist, Eric rose from the makeshift shelter and sat before her. His gaze was lowered and his shoulders were stooped.

"I am sorry for any pain that my words may have caused. It was not my intention to stress you like this."

Sookie turned away from his prone form. There was something unnerving about Eric's pose and words. It took her a little to understand that this was the penitent slave-vampire. He was expecting to be punished by her- to be made to suffer at her hand. It was too much.

"Eric?"

The vampire looked up and her distrust melted away. He did not know more than he'd told her. Whatever was happening really wasn't up to him. He was as much out of control as she apparently was. She needed to understand that.

"Yes." He asked.

"I need you to take me to see the faeries."

TBC. Sorry for the short chapter but I will have another out soon. I was completely re-inspired by the promo with AK kneeling before a certain newly crowned king. He just looks so vulnerable and accepting of what they are about to do to him. This Eric is the one that I am envisioning in this tale.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The next night he was back circling the woods surrounding the Stackhouse home. Sookie's request was very present in his mind but for the moment he could not do anything for her. Although Faerie had been his home for centuries he had no direct access to it. Only his masters could transport him to the realm.

He knew he didn't have long to wait. Claudine was addicted to his blood and would find him soon enough. Her more dangerous sister liked to silver him for any misdeed real or imagined and she too would come for her fix. So it was very surprising to find the faerie prince himself waiting for him when he sought his rest one morning.

"My lord" Eric said and fell to his knees just as he'd always done in front of his true master.

Niall motioned him to rise. He wasn't one for ceremonial obeisance like his father. Eric did so but kept his head down waiting for the prince to speak to him.

"I've gotten reports that you have been derelict in your duties vampire. Miss Stackhouse recently suffered an attack that brought her great harm."

Eric nodded. "It was my fault and I expect to answer for that sir."

"You will but I will leave it up to my granddaughter to deal with that particular failing. I am also aware that you've given Miss Stackhouse your blood."

Something tightened in his chest. "She was hurt and in pain. My blood made it better."

Niall's cultured voice took on a darker edge. "I am fully aware of the properties of vampire blood and of its most destructive qualities. Tell me vampire do you want to make her like Claudine who cannot stay away from you longer than a few days? Is that your plan?"

"No sir. It was not my intention."

"Nevertheless you've tainted Miss Stackhouse and that will cost you. I thought you had learned your lesson the last time you were defiant. Maybe you need another fifty years to reinforce your place in the world."

The thing in his chest became a lead weight at the very real threat in the prince's words. Could he live as he had for those years he'd been given to Neave and Lochlan? No. Whatever had sustained him at that time was gone. An image of a young blond woman in Victorian dress crossed his mind.

The prince looked on at the vampire stood still and silent. He'd been so well behaved that his recent act of disobedience had been surprising yet he couldn't let it pass without teaching the creature a lesson. And yet that could wait. He still needed the vampire for Sookie. She was too human and very vulnerable.

"I have it mind to deliver you back to Faerie right now but you are still needed in your present task. Miss Stackhouse trusts you and for her sake you will be allowed to stay in the human world for now. However if I learn of any other misbehavior on your part I will not be so merciful."

That was that then. He was doomed. Not caring anymore Eric said without hope. "She knows."

"What?"

"I've told her. She knows what I am and that your kind is interested in her. She asked me to bring her you and I promised that I would do so."

The rage that crossed the fae's dark blue eyes lent him a savagery associated with his race. How dare this monster presume this much? His human great-granddaughter was not ready to learn the truth of her existence and why it was making her a target. The vampire had clearly overstepped his bounds. He needed to be punished but it would have to wait until the prince could meet with his great-granddaughter to answer her questions.

"Tonight you will take me to Miss Stackhouse and after that you will be returned to Faerie."

Eric closed his eyes. "For how long sir?"

"Permanently, you will not be allowed to return to the human world ever again. You have proven that you cannot be trusted and thus you are no use to me anymore. "

"Yes sir." He whispered. A second later he lifted his head only to discover that the prince had gone. Eric sank boneless in to his bed. It was all over. He'd tried so hard but there was nothing else to be done. The little bit of freedom he'd earned away from Faerie was to be stripped away from him altogether for his indiscretion. And yet he did not regret it as she needed to know the truth. God, he would miss Sookie the most but it was very probable that after tonight he would never see her again.

XxXxXx

The night arrived all too soon and Eric found himself outside of Merlotte's with his lord and master at his side. The striking fae prince had toned down his appearance very much in an effort to blend in with the population but it was hopeless. The 'otherwordlness' clung to him like an pungent aroma. Anyone who looked at him closely would know that he did not belong among humans. So it was Eric who entered the bar and returned a few minutes later with Sookie at his side.

TBC.

Thank you for all your kind comments. I am very glad that this story continues to hold your interest. Thank you also for all the suggestions. They really help with the development of this tale.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

As she walked across the Merlotte's parking lot Sookie thought that the man-the faerie—in front of her was stunning. Tall and slim he had long pale gold hair that spilled down his shoulders like a silken mantle. Sookie was impressed and wondered what kind of conditioner they carried in his realm because Eric's hair was just as beautiful. Maybe they could put her in the way of a few bottles.

As she got closer she saw that his ears were pointed and although his face was unlined he had some age to him. His eyes were weighted down with centuries of experience both good and bad. Sookie felt very young and very small in the presence of such a being but she couldn't let it show for Eric's sake.

So she held her head up and faced the prince.

"Your majesty." she said coolly while giving the prerequisite bow. Niall pursed his lips and nodded gracefully.

"It is good to see you Miss Stackhouse. I've been looking forward to it for some time."

Sookie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why is that sir?"

Niall smiled patiently. "It is because it is not every day you meet your great-granddaughter."

Sookie had expected some outlandish response probably having to do with her telepathy but never something like that.

"What?"

"My dear Sookie your father was the child of my son Fintan and Adele Stackhouse. You and your brother Jason are direct descendants of my line."

Eric remained silent but realization settled in his countenance. He'd figured that it was something like that especially since he'd known that Fintan had preferred the human world over Faerie. It made sense that Sookie was part faerie and a member of the royal family that ruled his life.

Sookie shook her head in disbelief. "You're lying. My granddaddy's name Earl and he died many years ago. He was my daddy's father and he wasn't like you. He was all human."

The faerie prince looked upon her kindly. "Child, Earl Stackhouse could not engender offspring and your grandmother Adele knew this. Fintan fell in love with her and gave her the children she bore. Your father Corbett and your aunt Linda were his issue."

The calm and assured way he spoke left no room for questioning. Sookie tried to process what the prince was saying. Everything that she'd believed about herself was put into questioning. She wasn't really a Stackhouse and her beloved Gran had kept a very vital secret from her. Distraught she turned to the vampire by her side. Eric's face was a blank mask which unnerved her even further. He must have been shocked like her but why was he closing off to her. Didn't he understand how she felt?

"Eric?" she questioned softly. The vampire remained mute. "Please say something. Tell me if what he's saying in true."

The vampire looked down to the concrete floor.

"He will not answer you child. Eric would never dare contradict anything I say. He is too well trained to commit such an act although his behavior as of late has not been fitting of his condition."

"His condition as a slave you mean."

"That's right. The vampire was passed on from my father to me. I have chosen not to keep with me in favor of having him serve the households of our family."

"You mean he gets passed around like a roasting pan."

Niall frowned at her comparison. "I suppose. He is property after all."

The matter of fact way that he said that goaded Sookie's sensibilities. He was talking about Eric as if he were a senseless thing instead of a living being who deserved respect. She had to find a way to help him.

"Why did you send him to watch over me?"

The faerie's voice took on a graver tone. "I didn't know of your whereabouts until recently Sookie. My son Fintan kept you well-protected as per his and your grandmother's choice. His death brought an end to this and now your security falls to me. My enemies have learned of you and will not hesitate to endanger your welfare. This is why I sent the vampire to you."

"Who is Eric supposed to protect me against?"

"My nephew Breandan and those who subscribe to his theories."

"Theories regarding what?" She wasn't going to let up. She wanted to know what she was up against.

"The past few decades our kind has been plagued with infertility. Very few children have been born to our families and our numbers have been depleting steadily. Breandan firmly believes that this is due to the many liaisons faeries have had with humans and the offspring produced from those encounters. He is determined to destroy the children born to these human-faerie couples. I feared that you would eventually be targeted so I made the decision to protect you."

_That it was it then._ Sookie thought. In the space of a few minutes she'd lost a good part of her identity and realized that life would never be the same again. Her face grew drawn and pale as she stood before her great-grandfather. Eric ran a quick glance over Sookie's face, then fixed his gaze on a point somewhere beyond her. Something was wrong with him.

"How long will Eric have to watch over me?"

"Tonight he was relieved of his duties and will return to Faerie with me. I have an ally of mine taking over for him. His name is Preston Pardloe and he has sworn to guard you with his life."

"I want Eric." she said steadily.

"I'm afraid that cannot be so. Eric has been disobedient and he needs to be disciplined. I made a mistake in choosing him for this when he was obviously not ready for it."

"Eric is fine. If I have to lose my independence I rather it be with someone I know and trust."

"You will like Preston." The faerie assured her "He is quite capable of providing you with a suitable guardian and he is also very familiar with this area. "

"No. It's Eric or no one."

"I cannot do that Sookie. He needs to be sent back."

Great-grandfather or not she wanted to throttle him. "So that you can torture him for having told me the truth? That's why you want to send him back right? Because he didn't lie to me. Well that is what makes me like him. I don't want Preston or anybody else. In fact I want him"

"What do you mean?'

"I want you to give him to me. As you said I am a member of your family and you've been passing Eric around to them for so many years. Well now is my turn. I want him to stay with me."

"You want the vampire as your slave?"

Even the question made her angry but she kept cool. She needed this work for both of them. "I do."

Niall thought for a moment. The vampire before him was strong and capable and he had proven to be loyal to Sookie. Well then there was nothing else to be done.

"He is yours."

TBC.

600+ comments for 13 chapters! I'm not worthy. Thank you so much because I know that my posting schedule leaves a lot to be desired. Now we have finally gotten to the crux of this tale and from now on things really start happening. I really do wish I wasn't the one writing it because I really want to read it. Please continue commenting and suggesting any possible scenarios for our favorite telepath and HER personal vampire. Lots of love and Happy 4th of July if applicable. -Jillian


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Six months later.

Pamela Ravenscroft looked at the walls painted the right shade of crimson that suggested fresh blood without being overly kitschy. She thought that it really added to the overall ambiance of the bar. Dimly lit the walls would take on a pleasant glow that made Pam's skin look especially nice which was always good.

All around her were boxes in various stages of unpacking. She'd ordered some very ornate hanging lanterns and candles in tall black pillars to adorn the tables. The bar itself had arrived a few days ago and it was now taking up a good portion of the far wall. The industrial fridge was due tomorrow and after that the drink stock including several cases of synthetic blood. Longshadow was in charge of that because she did not care for heavy lifting. It really did a number on her manicured nails.

It was all coming together. She'd gotten a good deal on the property and the required licenses were easy to obtain. Leaving Sophie-Anne had proved a little more challenging and she was required to make regular appearances at court but the arrangement pleased her nonetheless. The vampire queen of Louisiana had been good to her and taught her how to maneuver through the tricky vampire hierarchy. Pam proved adept at it and knew without a doubt that she would be queen someday.

But for now she had her bar, her vampire bar, and that was taking up the whole of her attention. Presently she was waiting for some vampire from Bon Temps who was coming to apply for a job as a waiter. According to Longshadow he'd sounded okay on the phone but Pam trusted her own judgment and no one else's. She looked at the wall clock. Eric Stackhouse was due in about five minutes. She hoped he wasn't a total idiot.

At exactly eight o'clock the double doors opened and Pam's maker walked back into her life. If she'd been human she would have fainted from shock. As it was she came down hard on one of her imported bar stools.

"Hello Pamela." Eric said softly as he walked slowly towards her. Pam looked on dumbfounded at the tall, blond man in the Walmart jeans and pressed polo shirt.

"How can you be here?' she whispered through the stiffness in her throat. "How is it possible?"

Eric stopped in front of her. "I wanted to see you but I didn't have the courage until now." His eyes never left hers, which were wide, round and the color of English violets just as he remembered. She was still so lovely.

"You knew I was here?" Her lips formed the words as if she didn't quite comprehend what she was asking. "You actually knew?"

The pain in her words shamed him and he looked down. "There was an article on the newspaper. It had a picture of you and said that you were opening a vampire bar in Shreveport. I recognized you so I came here but you weren't around. I met your business partner and he said that you were looking to hire."

Pam laughed unpleasantly. "You actually came here for a job? That wasn't a cover?"

Eric smiled. "I need to work. We don't have much money and I am limited by my being a vampire as to what I can do. I thought you could use me but you're not obligated by our prior acquaintance"

"Prior acquaintance?" it was too much "God Eric you are my fucking maker."

"One who left you alone when you were still too young to fend for yourself. I was your maker and I should have taught you what you needed to learn but I knew very little myself."

She shook her head. "I still needed you."

"No you didn't. You were better off by yourself. It allowed you to grow without being affected by my circumstances. I was a wretched vampire and I did not want you make you like me. But you have to know that leaving you was one of the hardest things I've had to do."

"If it hurt you that much why did you do it?'

"I had to. I couldn't stay. They were after me and it was only a matter of time before they found me and you as well."

"Who Eric? Who was after you?" she demanded frustration and raw hurt getting the better of her. "What could threaten the most powerful vampire I've ever come across?"

"I've no power Pamela. I have nothing." He kneeled in front of her, his stature putting them face to face. "I am nothing Pamela."

"It's Pam." She said through the red blood tears that were flooding her eyes.

"Pam" he repeated "It suits you." Eric's fingers ghosted over the soft skin of her face very gently. The digits trembled slightly. "I've missed you Pam."

She sniffed and allowed the tears to fall. "I've missed you Eric. Where the hell did you go?'

The vampire sighed. "There is something you need to know, something that I couldn't tell you when we were together, something about what I really am."

TBC. I took a cue from True Blood and jumped forward. Don't worry we are still going to get a lot of how Eric slowly adjusted to living with Sookie. He is still a long way from okay even now. It will all work out in the end thought.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It was almost three in the morning by the time the old yellow car returned to its poorly paved driveway. Eric turned off the engine and struggled out of the too-small car. His long legs proved to be a bit of a challenge and his exit was anything but smooth. It didn't bother him. Sookie'd taught him to drive in this car so he felt a special affinity with the ancient Toyota.

The condition of his car had horrified Pam who insisted that he take hers instead. It goaded her to see her maker drive a vehicle is such a condition. Eric had refused knowing that Sookie would never accept something that she hadn't earned. It surprised him to realize that taking Pam's car would bother him too. For someone who'd lived on the generosity of lack thereof of his masters, pride was a gradual thing to come by.

He took a few minutes to walk around the property. His senses carefully scanned for any intruders but he didn't detect anything. Nothing had happened in the six months he'd been living with Sookie but he was still reluctant to leave her unguarded. She was still a target but it seemed that Breandan's allies had not been successful in locating her. He did not want to grow complacent but it was Sookie herself that wanted the restrictions eased. She wanted him to have his own life apart from protecting hers. He still didn't know how he felt about that. There was a lot that he still had to work through.

These past months had been surprisingly challenging. Sookie was kind and patient with him but he was so lost. Everything was new and confusing. He didn't know how to act with a mistress who wanted nothing more from him than to do as he wished. It was something he'd found difficult from the very beginning.

XxXx Six months ago XxXxX

The faerie prince gave her a knowing look and vanished into thin air. Apparently that was it for the family reunion. Sookie swallowed and turned to face her newly acquired slave.

Good God he was hers. The faery dust had barely settled when the magnitude of what she'd done finally hit Sookie like the proverbial ton of bricks. She owned someone—a breathing (well not really breathing) being apart from herself. It was too overwhelming.

And there he was standing before her with his head bowed having been passed off yet again. She wished that she'd found another way but she was really improvising as she went.

"Eric?"

He barely glanced at her but she saw the tension coil in this back and shoulders. "Come with me."

He nodded and obediently followed her back into the bar. She still had two hours on her shift and he could sit in one of the booths until it was time to go home. She would get him a True Blood because he really looked like he could use one or a dozen.

Sookie settled him in a corner booth away from the melee. Arlene gave her a curious look which she ignored as she went to get Eric his blood.

"I warmed it a little bit. I thought you might like it better this way." she said.

"Thank you." his voice was barely a whisper.

"Okay then. Just sit here and drink your blood and in a little while I'll come and get you and we'll go home. Then we can talk."

"Yes mistress."

Oh God. "Please don't call me that."

"Yes my lady."

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Not that either. Plain Sookie will suffice."

"Yes Sookie."

"Better. I'll be back in a little bit okay."

"Yes Sookie."

"Okay."

As she worked she would sneak peeks at him. He remained sitting nursing his drink and looking straight ahead at nothing. For a second Sookie wondered just what he would do if she left him there. Would he wait obediently until she came to get him? She was afraid that he would.

The hours went by slowly and at last it was time for them to go home. She cleared his table and together they walked out of the bar into the quiet night. He still wouldn't say anything to her which bothered her greatly.

"I'm going to get some blood for you tomorrow morning. There's a Walmart nearby that's running a special this week. Do you have a preference? Is there a type that you like more than the others?"

"No."

"I'll get you a variety pack then. Climb in."

They were standing in front of her car and Eric squeezed himself in the passenger seat. Sookie breathed deeply and followed him inside. What followed may have been the most uncomfortable car ride in history as Sookie tried to unsuccessfully engage Eric in conversation. Thankfully there were only a few minutes to her house.

It was late and her Gran would likely be sleeping so she had to sneak the vampire inside without alerting her. There was time enough tomorrow to deal with that particular part of the equation.

"You need to be very quiet Eric when you follow me into the house."

A troubling spark of incredulity settled on his blue eyes. "You're bringing me inside?"

"Of course, I'm not going to leave you outside Eric. You're not a dog."

The fact that this is what he thought shredded a little bit of Sookie's heart. The vastness of the work ahead of her proved daunting. How much had these fucking faeries messed him up that he felt he did not rate basic comfort?

Fucking faeries.

He was hesitant to cross the threshold even though he'd been invited in by her Gran just a few nights ago. She led him down the hallway towards her room closing the door behind them.

"I hope that you don't mind the hidey hole again. I swear I'll find you something a lot more comfortable to sleep in soon enough."

"It's alright."

"No it's not. You deserve better."

He didn't reply to that so she let it go for now. Baby steps. She would go to the Bon Temps library tomorrow and see if she could find any books on whatever Eric had. There were a few books on vampire psychology that might prove to be helpful or at least give her an idea on how to approach him.

"I'm going try to shower the fried batter smell out of me. Why don't you take a seat and wait for me? I won't be long." She said lightly and escaped to the adjoining bathroom. Once there the girl closed the door firmly behind her and pressed her forehead against it. What had she gotten herself into?

A few steps away Eric sat down on her bed as she instructed him to do. The pink flowery coverlet spread before him enticingly. It was saturated in her scent and he wanted to bury his nose in its folds and breathe her in.

She owned him and she'd brought him into her bedroom. In the past that had only meant one thing.

The vampire began to shed his clothes waiting for his mistress to claim what was hers.

TBC.

I wasn't going to write tonight but tonight's adorkable Eric was just too inspiring. Really how good looking can one man be? Thank you for your comments. Although I may not always have time to reply to them please be certain that they are all appreciated.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

XxXx Still Six Months Ago XxXx

She'd stalled enough. After conditioning her hair twice and taking the time to moisturize her legs Sookie was ready to face the waiting vampire. They had a lot to talk about and only a few hours until dawn.

All words left her when she opened the door to her room and found a wondrous sight standing before her. Eric was…

…not dressed.

And a real blond.

Heavenly God.

In her head went through the entirety of her experience with naked men which she realized was non-existent. Being Bon Temps last remaining virgin had left her woefully unprepared to deal with this kind of situation.

Oh his body. Smooth ivory curves of muscles over the shoulders, pectorals and biceps bulky enough to fit all her fantasies tight abdominals, a little hair on the chest. You didn't get this body in a gym but by hard work or wielding a massive Viking sword.

As for the other sword….Good Gracious plenty. That was something to write home about.

The girl stood in her wet hair and Winnie the Pooh pajamas before the vampire she owned trying very hard not to run out screaming or do something else she rather not admit to because she was a lady. After a few more frozen seconds she began noticing the little things. The multitude of scars that littered the magnificent form, the way he held his head which spoke of tension. He was as nervous as her and probably feeling very exposed which made a lot of sense considering his current state.

She had to be soothing and careful. _Easy Sookie. Down girl._

"Where are your clothes Eric?" she asked quietly. Yes sirrah she could look into his eyes and nothing else. Nothing challenging about that. Just look into his eyes and not his…

The vampire indicated towards the chair where he'd placed his folded pants and shirt.

"Okay. Would you please put them back on?"

Eric looked on her quizzically but he nodded and walked towards his clothes. Sookie got a nice view of his backside that would probably stay with her until she was well into her eighties.

He stepped into his jeans. Apparently it was neither briefs nor boxers for him. She found that very appealing. The jeans were well fitted but not snug. He was about to reach for his shirt when Sookie stopped him.

"Don't put it on yet. I want to see your back."

The vampire complied and set the shirt back on the chair. He turned slowly to her waiting for further instructions.

"Just sit on the bed please."

He sat on the edge of the mattress. Sookie took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. She wanted to check on his scars. With some trepidation she went to sit by him and tried to think of what to say but it was he who began.

"I'm sorry."

Sookie blinked. "For what?"

"I thought that it was what you wanted. You brought me into your room. That only happens when they want…something more."

Goddammed faeries. "Oh. I don't…not like that."

"Why else would you…"

"What?"

"Why else would ask for me?"

His words confirmed what she already knew. He was too damaged. Too used to this kind of treatment.

"Eric look at me."

He turned towards her.

"It's probably going to take many weeks, months or even years but I want you to believe that I would never treat you as you've been treated. I'm not the faeries that have kept you like this for centuries. I'm human and in my world we don't think that someone has the right to own someone else. It's barbaric and cruel. I asked Niall for you because it was the only way to keep you from being sent back to them. I hate that you think me capable of acting like that."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I get it. I understand where you are coming from. Your life has been terrible and it will be a while before you start seeing things differently but you will. I'll help you."

Not being sure if he could yet trust her, the vampire nodded. "There is very little left in me of who I used to be. I don't think I can be any different anymore."

"I can't accept that. There is always hope Eric. Now please let me look at your back."

He positioned himself to give her better access and Sookie had to keep herself from gasping. Up close the skin was peppered with ugly scars. Some were thin as if made by a sharp knife others were thick and raised. A particularly vicious one looked a lot like a bite mark.

"What made that?" She asked tracing the contours on his shoulder blade.

"Neave. She likes to bite."

She hissed thinking of the pain it must have caused. Faeries were like savage animals. "Other vampires heal. Why can't you?"

"I don't know. At the beginning I did but eventually the wounds closed but the scars remained. Maybe it's because I wasn't allowed human blood."

Sookie swung her body around the bed to face him once more. "Drink from me then and see if you heal."

His fangs descended at her command. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and pulled the collar of her pajamas away from her neck. In a second he had positioned her against his bare chest. Her head rested in the hollow of his shoulder as his mouth descended on her skin.

"Drink" she whispered. The fangs pierced the tender skin and the first gush of blood flooded his hungry mouth.

The blood was warm and rich. He sucked on the sweet elixir with the fervor of decades of deprivation. Sookie's essence coated his senses and awakened things he had long since thought dead. The woman moaned and arched her neck to give him better access. The feel of his lips sent a rush down her body awakening her cells and making her moan in pleasure.

And he began to heal.

TBC. This chapter was really difficult to write and it didn't turn out the way I wanted. I wanted something lighter but the gloom and doom got me at the end (like always). I have a bit of a block but I am trying to push to through it. Thank you for your comments. They are really helpful especially when writing becomes a challenge.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Present

"As long as you remember what you promised Niall you can stay."

The faerie woman nodded and Claude looked at his sister appraisingly. She really seemed a lot better than during those first few weeks after they'd lost custody of the vampire. Claudine had been badly off then, resembling more a wraith than a member of the fae. The prince had ordered her to remain in Faerie and thus away from the vampire until she could kick her disgusting addiction to his blood. It was only now that he'd allowed her to return but she still had to keep away from Eric.

Frankly Claude didn't see the attraction. The vamp was pretty and he'd enjoyed his body in the past but there was little spirit left in him. The creature had been damaged beyond repair by all those centuries of bondage. For some reason Claudine was not repelled by this which made him think a lot less of his sister.

They were in his recently opened strip club aptly named "Hooligans". It was his and Claudette's project but they both intended for Claudine to have a say in it when she was better which was apparently now. Claudette still had her reservations mostly due to the vampire being so close but Claude was willing to believe that unfortunate liaison had come to an end. The vamp belonged to the human girl now and it was better that way. Let Sookie Stackhouse deal with that particular piece of dead weight that was Eric.

"So look around and get acquainted with the layout. Doors open at five today and the main show begins at eight. Claudette is in charge of choosing the staff but I have last say on everyone working here so they are all spectacular at what they do."

"Okay." She said quietly.

Claude rolled his eyes. Maybe she wasn't all there yet but he was done with the coddling. Damned stupid vampire. Niall should have staked him a long time ago instead of inflicting him on his family.

Whatever. There was nothing to do to change what was past. All that they could do was to make sure Claudine stayed far away from the undead creature.

That wouldn't be too hard, would it?

Claude had a sinking feeling that it would.

XxXxXx

The black Fangtasia shirt was wonderfully fitted and would look very becoming with a nice pair of leather pants but Eric was having none of it. He was clinging to his discount store jeans which have been a gift from Sookie. Pam wrinkled her nose at the fashion faux pas and promised herself that she would get him into Gucci sooner than later.

He'd also insisted on working as a waiter and refused the partnership she'd offered instead. For one he didn't have any money to contribute to the business nor the acumen. It wouldn't be right to simply take something that he hadn't earned. This made Pam slightly sick but she resigned herself to seeing her exceptional maker fetching drinks for worthless humans and lesser vampires.

He was good at it. The women responded to his good looks and his charm. She could see them fawning and offering themselves to him for blood and other things. He let them down easy because he only drank from his mistress. The fact that Eric called a human girl _that_ upset Pam tremendously.

But if humans were captivated by him, vampires were decidedly not. Vampires sensed the contradiction in him. Eric was a very old vampire but his development had been severely stunted by his experience. He didn't emote a lot of power like most of the elders did which was disturbing. Also his time in Faerie had given him an unique aura very different from other vampires. He was terribly otherworldly and it showed. Eventually some upstart vamp would decide to do something about it.

Pam wanted to keep this from happening. He needed someone to teach him how to be a proper vampire and who better than her who had maneuvered through the upper echelons of vampire society. She urged him to leave Sookie and move in with her but he refused. He cared for Pam deeply but he belonged with Sookie. He was hers and would never leave her unless she wanted him to.

"And what happens when she dies? Are you going to wait for them to send you back to Faerie and live like a slave all of your life?"

His face darkened considerably and Pam got a glimpse of the formidable vampire he could have been.

"No" he said simply and continued to wipe the table before him. It was past closing time and only they remained in the bar.

Pam took the rag from his hand and dropped it on the floor. "What is you plan then? Will you fight the faeries?"

He sighed and retrieved the rag. "That's not what I meant."

Realization settled on her countenance. "You can't mean…?" she started horrified.

Eric nodded and resumed his task. "It's my decision. It's my life."

"Not to throw away like that to follow some human girl into her grave. We are vampires Eric. We get to live forever."

"I had no life before her and I will not have a life after she's gone."

"This is madness. I will not allow such a thing."

Eric bent down so he could look at directly. Her eyes were devastated at his revelation and he caressed her cheek tenderly. "She's like you, you know. Brave, determined and so much more than a poor devil like me could ever deserve. "

"Don't talk about yourself that way. Don't think about yourself that way."

"I'll try not to. It bothers Sookie as well."

Pam sniffed. "Well that's one thing we have in common. I wish she'd shared my dislike of all things WalMart as well" she wrinkled her nose at his jeans.

He kissed her nose. "Never mind about the pants. I like them."

"You don't know any better."

"You're probably right but I'm happy with them."

Pam licked her lips and pressed them softly against his. "Are you really? Happy I mean?" she whispered into his mouth.

"Yes. As long as I have her I will be."

XxXx

Bill rarely ventured this far out of Shreveport but Pam's presence in his home base unsettled him. He'd taken to exploring the furthest corners of his assigned territory and meeting the locals as well as the other members of the supernatural community. You never knew when you would need and extra werewolf or in this case a shifter.

The shifter in question was the owner of a bar called Merlotte's. It catered to the mostly blue collar folk that made Bon Temps their home. Bill had never heard of any issues associated with this establishment but as usual he was carefully observant as he walked inside.

Sookie Stackhouse looked up just in time to see her second vampire come through the door and into her life.

TBC.

As per usual thank you for reading this story and for commenting. Tonight's Eric worked his magic and made me finish this chapter.

As you can see Sheriff Bill will put a serious damper on Sookie and Eric's nascent bond. I hope Eric has enough confidence to fend him off. Also the faeries will be back with a vengeance and we may soon see the threat against Sookie finally materialize.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Years and experience had made Adele Stackhouse a very perceptive woman. Very few things went undetected by the formidable Gran so it was to be expected that she would be the one to notice the growing turmoil in her vampire guest.

Outwardly he was the same. He slept when the sun shone at its brightest and rose in late afternoon. If he encountered Adele first he was attentive but as soon as Sookie stepped into the room everything and everyone else fell by the wayside. His eyes followed her around as she went about getting ready for work or for a date with Bill. When Adele mentioned it to her granddaughter Sookie had dismissed it as basic hunger. Eric had supplemented his diet of True Blood with regular feedings from her so it was to be expected that he would crave her blood. Adele did not buy Sookie's reasoning -not one little bit. The vampire saw her as much more than food.

Her young granddaughter was too innocent to recognize desire. The vampire was aching for the attention she'd been giving Bill Compton. Jealousy colored every touch and accentuated every word he spoke to her but Sookie remained oblivious.

Adele wondered why that was so. At first it had seemed that Sookie was falling in love with Eric but as she pushed him towards independence she was also pushing him away from her. In her quest to guide the slave to self-sufficiency she'd also cut him off from the first real connection he'd made in centuries. Eric was adrift and as her relationship with the Sheriff of Area Five progressed it became worse.

The changes were gradual. He seemed a little more distant than usual and took to spending his nights away from Fangtasia circling their property as if he'd done in the beginning. Sookie said that he'd even refused to drink from her the last few times she'd offered. This bothered her some but Bill explained that Eric was merely following an unspoken vampire rule. When she asked what that meant he sidestepped her question and kissed her instead. His own fangs marked the skin of her neck over Eric's fading bite.

"Maybe he should move in with Pam. Bill said that some vampires stay with their makers for centuries." Sookie told her grandmother one morning during breakfast.

Adele set her cup down with a little more force than it warranted at such an early hour. "Shame on you Sookie Stackhouse, you've done and asked Niall for Eric only to want to push him by the wayside when Mr. Compton showed. I taught you better than that. You took responsibility for him knowing that he needed a lot of help from you if he was ever going to get stronger."

The girl looked away uncomfortably and her fingers graced the bite mark under her sleep shirt. "That's just it Gran, he isn't getting better here. He is still like he was before. I see Bill and I realize how a vampire is really supposed to act and Eric is still not there yet. I doubt if he will ever be as long as stays with us."

Adele shook her head "Sookie, your blood may have healed Eric from his physical scars but they cannot touch what that boy carries inside of him. I know you mean well but he needs to stay with you because if you tell him to leave he's just going think you've tired of him."

As usual Gran was right. Sookie sighed and looked towards the room that the vampire slept in. She never wanted to hurt him and here she was on the verge of doing so. What kind of person was she anyhow?

"I won't suggest it again. I care for Eric a whole lot."

"More so than for your Mister Compton?"

"It's different Gran. Bill is sweet and he wants to make me happy but he never forgets what he is. He is the Sheriff of this area and is used to order around the vampires under him. He oozes confidence and I like that in him. It makes me feel…. I don't know…special."

"And Eric."

"Eric is not like that. He still sees himself as my property and I don't doubt that he would put himself in all kinds of trouble if I ordered him to. I feel that I can never let my guard down with him. He doesn't have a sense of self-preservation and this worries me all the time."

"It's a mission you took on willingly." She reminded her gently.

"I did and I would do it again to keep him out of Faerie but things are just so complicated with him and easy with Bill."

Adele reached across the table and patted Sookie's extended hand. "Child the path to true love is never easy but it is the obstacles along the way that make it that more precious. Take you old Gran's advice and treasure the gift that you've been granted."

"What gift Gran?"

"That's for you to discover Sookie. Just keep your mind open and your heart ready and it will all work out in the end." She promised.

XxXxXx

The Eric that rose that afternoon was quiet and terribly somber. He skipped his True Blood as well as Sookie's invitation to feed. In fact he barely looked at her as they both readied themselves for their respective shifts. Sookie felt the unfamiliar sting of rejection and tried again.

"When you get home tonight we need to talk."

"Yes mistress." He whispered as he bent down to tie his shoelace.

Sookie winced "Please don't call me that."

"Yes Sookie."

"Thank you. So I guess I'll see you after work."

Eric nodded his assent and watched her go out the door towards her little yellow car. Little did he know that she wouldn't return that night or for the next foreseeable ones.

TBC.

Okay I know this isn't where you wanted me to take them. Ugh Beeeel but he is a necessary evil. As for evil… certain silver toothed faeries are about to make their appearance. Please don't forget to review and for those that care "Controlled Conditions" has finally been updated and will probably be updated again sometime today. Lots of love- Jill.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

From the moment the wannabe cowboy walked in she knew that he was trouble right down to his ugly snakeskin boots. Pam would bet her Prada bags that he'd just been recently released by his maker and was aching to prove his toughness to whoever got in his line of sight. Of course he zeroed on Eric.

It was already a lousy night. Eric had been disturbingly silent as he moved about his shift. The smile was gone as were the little bits of levity that had begun to enter into their relationship. She didn't have to read his mind to know that he was depressed about something.

She cornered him as he was pouring a couple of shots of Mezcal.

"What did she do?" she asked in a monotone voice.

Eric did not reply but continued his task. Pam rolled her eyes. "The human girl is the center of your world so I know she must have done something to upset you."

"Sookie has done nothing wrong."

"I find it hard to believe. You look like someone kicked your dog into the freeway so I the _exceptional _Miss Stackhousemust have done or said something to upset you. Might as well tell me what it was otherwise I'm going to keep on hounding you."

Eric set down the bottle so hard on the counter that the worm swimming in the liquor rose to the very top. "She's done nothing."

"What did she say then? I told you not to expect too much from a mortal especially one that has the bad taste to date Bill Compton"

"She wants me out of her house" the vampire said quietly. "She thinks it would be better if I moved in with you."

Pam brightened considerably. "Oh, I think she has the right idea for once. You need to be with your own kind and I could help you better than she can."

"I don't need to be helped. I am hers to do with as she wishes."

"My god Eric, that sounds so insane coming from someone like you."

"A slave you mean."

"No, not a fucking slave. You're so much more than that. All you have to do is rise up and start behaving like the goddamned thousand year old Viking god that you were meant to be. Stop being afraid, stop being a wimp and go take on that stupid Cowboy vamp that's coming at you."

Eric turned in time to dodge the vampire rushing at him with his fangs out. The attacker hit the side of the bar tumbling down amidst an array of assorted liquor bottles. Eric froze for a second before his own fangs descended and his vision turned red.

The wannabe did not have a chance as the larger vampire pulled him from the floor and threw him across an empty table pouncing on him before he could rise. The failed attacker gasped in pain.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here." Eric snarled as he cruelly pushed the vampire's head onto the floor. The surrounding crowd of mostly vampires hissed approvingly. They had been waiting to see the strange and apparently tame waiter in such a state.

The would-be-attacker found his voice. "I apologize. I didn't know."

"You didn't know what?"

The vamp was shaking in fear. "That you were this strong. I couldn't tell your age."

"I'm a thousand years old and I will rip you to pieces if you attack me unprovoked again."

"Yes sir" he swallowed.

"Leave and never set foot here again. Actually never set foot in all of Shreveport if you want to continue on living."

The crowd opened up as the cowboy vamp stumbled out of the establishment. Without a word Eric picked himself up and set about straightening the upturned tables and chairs. The music started up again and the crowd dispersed.

"That was quite impressive thought I could have done with a little more torture" said Pam as she approached her maker.

Eric closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "I don't torture."

"You should try it. It's quite amusing."

"Having been the amusement of many a sadist, I doubt that I will find any enjoyment out of it."

Pam shrugged her shoulders. "Well to each his own. I have to say that you have cleared all misconceptions about you in one fell swoop."

"I don't care to be attacked without having done something to deserve it."

"I agree but you know how the newborns are always ready to show off their prowess. I bet this particular specimen is going to think twice before he challenges anyone again."

Eric looked away and resumed his task. Pam wisely left him alone for the rest of the night. She figured he had a lot of thinking to do.

Hours later Eric made his way across the empty parking lot toward the highway. He usually ran home but now there was no need as Sookie would not get off from Merlotte's for another half an hour. He had enough time to get home for their talk. He wondered how she would tell him she wanted him to leave.

"Eric" a voice unheard in many months interrupted his thoughts.

The vampire turned to find Claudine Crane resting against the side of a cherry red corvette. She looked very different from the last time he'd seen her. The faerie had lost weight and even in the dark he could see the haunted look in her eyes.

Eric fought the irrational urge to kneel before her. She wasn't his mistress anymore but old habits died hard especially those reinforced by years of cruelty.

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted… I needed to see you. I missed you so much" she said almost inaudibly.

Eric stood still as she slowly approached him. She'd apparently given up her flowy dresses in favor of jeans and a black leather jacket.

"My blood you mean."

Claudine stopped before him and raised her hand up to his face softly caressing the pleasing contours.

"Not your blood. I need you and I will go insane if you don't come with me."

Eric stayed her hand and pushed it away. "My mistress would not be happy if she saw me with you."

"Forget her. Come with me and let me have you again. Don't you want that"

"It was never my will and you know it."

She pressed her body against his. Her arms snaked around his torso. "I know but I never hurt you and you responded to it. We can have it all again if you come with me now."

Eric was unresponsive to her touch. "The prince gave me to Miss Stackhouse."

"He did it because he knew how much I wanted you. Come with me and I'll keep you safe from his machinations, I promise. You will never have to submit again."

The vampire focused on the bright crimson on her lips and the yearning in her eyes. "Let me go."

"No, I won't. You're the only thing that matters—the only man I ever wanted. We can be happy together if you will only come with me." She was on the verge of tears and Eric found himself feeling sorry for a faerie.

He was about to push her aside when he felt an unpleasant chill course through his body followed by an urge to get away. It took him a second to realize that it wasn't originating from him.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Claudine asked disturbed by panicked look in his face.

"Sookie" was all he said before rushing to his mistress leaving Claudine standing alone in the empty lot.

TBC. This chapter is dedicated to King Bill Compton who was smart enough to know that he needed to step aside in favor of our Viking god.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"She's joining us"

"Good now we can have some fun."

Sookie heard the voices as if coming from far away. It took her a little while longer to focus her eyes. Apparently, she'd lost conscious at some point but she didn't remember. All she recalled was her car coming to a complete, unwarranted stop and then nothing.

Apparently she'd been taken… to God only knew where.

It was a dark and dank place. She was lying on the dirt floor and surrounded by cement walls. Besides her were two beautiful creatures with flawless looks and inhuman eyes.

The reminded her of Niall. They were faeries.

The woman touched her pointy toed boot to Sookie's cheek and shifted her head around.. "I thought she'd be prettier. I don't see fae in her."

The male vampire snorted. "She's horrid. All that tainted blood does nothing to help her race. Niall should be ashamed."

Their prey blinked slowly. Prince Niall had sent Eric to protect her from these faeries. Eric..where was Eric?

She'd pushed Eric away.

"Eric" she whispered.

The male faerie laughed. "Oh she's calling the vampire. That's rich. Hey human did you know that you're lying in the same cell your precious vampire spent decades locked in? We put Eric here when he was given to us."

Sookie forced herself to look around the miserable prison. Fifty years in this hole? Her poor Eric.

The woman clapped her hands. "That's right. We threw the vampire in here whenever we got too tired of hearing him scream."

The girl felt sick. These cruel, horrible creatures had tortured her vampire and destroyed his spirit. Now they were going to do the same to her.

"Tick tock sweet Sookie your time is definitely up."

XxXxXx

The sight of the deserted yellow car by the side of the road was like a sharpened stake in his chest. The distinctive smell that he caught in the air told him everything that he needed to know.

Neave and Lochlan had taken Sookie. He could never forget their scent as he could never forget their ways.

Sookie.

The air became lead in his lungs but he fought the urge to scream. They'd taken HER. Those filthy, sadistic monsters had dared to lay their hands on HIS Sookie.

"She's probably dead by now" said Claudine without any emotion. She was standing by his side obviously having latched on onto him. "Neave works fast."

Eric grabbed the faerie by the shoulders and pulled her roughly to him. "Don't even say it. She's alive. I can feel it."

"If she is it won't be for long. Breandan wants her dead so he can force Niall into a direct confrontation."

Eric closed his eyes. Claudine was right; he only had a little bit of time to save her. He had to get to Faerie.

"Take me to her."

"No." Claudine said simply.

His fangs came out. "Take me" he snarled.

"I've no interest in getting you killed just to save Niall's project. You're worth more to me than a human girl I don't even know."

"I will rip your throat out if you don't do as I ask."

"No."

He lunged at her only to miss as she teleported a few feet away. Without missing a beat he grabbed her and sunk his fangs into her neck.

Eric drank quickly and deeply absorbing as much of her essence into his body. When he could feel her heart slowing down he stopped and let her go.

Claudine sank to his feet. Eric watched her as she struggled to right herself. Her hand on was on her throat in an attempt to slow down the blood trickling from it. Eric didn't care. "Do it before I kill you" he hissed. The faerie shook her head.

"If I take you they will kill you. Lochlan and Neave have no limits as to their viciousness and Breandan has only made them worse."

Her words cut through Eric like a knife. At last he did what he'd thought he never would again. He went down on his knees before the faerie with all the desperation that he felt.

"Please" was all he said.

Claudine's eyes softened and she ran her hands through his hair. He was clearly in such pain for the girl. It hurt her heart to realize it.

A better woman would have helped him and then chosen to step aside. A better woman would have chosen to make him happy. She wasn't that woman. She wouldn't give him up even if she made him miserable in the process.

"I'll help you make the jump but when you get her back you will return to me. I don't want you to be with her again even if it angers Niall" she said carefully.

Eric raised his eyes to her and nodded. To save Sookie he would do much worse.

The faerie was a little shaky from the blood loss but at last she regained her footing with the vampire's help. She concentrated until she felt herself start to go. Eric recognized the familiar feel of the pull but for once he did not dread it. He wanted to be with Sookie even if it was for the last time.

TBC.

Angst much? Well everything will come together in the next few chapters. Will Eric be strong enough to fight the faeries that finally broke him? Will Sookie will finally appreciate her vampire only to lose him to Claudine? Stay tuned and keep on reviewing.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Sookie could never have imagined that she could feel such pain and not die of it.

She would have been glad to die. In fact she welcomed death like she would have once welcomed a friend.

By the time that the knives came out she was too far gone form the blood loss to even pay much attention as Neave sliced into her inner thigh carving out a thin slice of her. The ounce of flesh found its way into her torturer's lips.

"Mmmm yummy" the faerie said as she tasted her.

The fact that they were taking bits of her for their amusement broke her. To them she was like a soulless animal. A piece of meat to be consumed at will.

Sookie's voice had failed her after the first hour. All she could do know is produce an odd, scratching sound emanating from her damaged throat. It was probably humorous-sounding because the twins cackled with unrepressed glee.

"Little froggy croaking" said Lochlan.

"Listen to her. Croak little froggy, croak for us" replied his sister. Sookie cried without sound.

Neave had very long and sharp fingernails which she ran across Sookie's naked belly. The girl strained in her bonds at the terrible sensation. Somehow they were worse than the knives especially when the index finger dug into a slash formerly made by the knife and peeled the skin back. The girl gasped at the feel of her skin peeling like a banana. The flesh tore into a long, bloody strip which the faerie wrapped around her finger.

"I think I'll keep this as a souvenir. I wanted to keep your head but Lochlan thinks that we should send that to your great-grandfather on a spike. What do you think?"

Sookie closed her eyes. She didn't want to see anything else that they did to her body. All she wanted to do was let go.

She was going to meet her end in this miserable place with only the sickening duo for company. It was the cruelest cut of all. If she was going to die she wanted it to be with someone she loved.

She wanted her Gran, she wanted Jason, she wanted Bill but mostly she wanted Eric.

Her Eric. Sookie pursed her swollen and cracked lips. She longed to say his name like a mantra. There was someone out there who loved her and lived his life for her.

It was strange than in this place of pain she'd come to realize the importance of the vampire in her life. She'd thought that Eric's dependence was wearing on her but the truth was that it was the strongest connection she'd ever had with someone outside her family. For him she was everything and for her it was clearly the same.

She'd tried to disregard her heart but now at its most compromised the truth emerged like water from a hidden spring, boundless and clear.

Eric.

He'd suffered in this place as well. The walls were still speckled with his blood and even through her tears she recognized the scratches of the walls. He'd clawed at them at some point. There hadn't been anyone to listen to his cries and eventually he'd fallen silent like her.

She imagined him there. He would be hunched in the corner trying to press his large body against the concrete as to shield his more vulnerable parts. His long hair would have been tangled and his naked body dirty and riddled with the wounds that would become the scars she'd healed. He would be as afraid as she was but in his case it would have been worse because the vampire body would not give out. There would not be escape of death in the horizon and this made everything all the worse for him.

Sookie reached out her hand at the imaginary Eric. She could barely lift it through the bonds but still she tried. She needed to touch him one last time. Her over-extended brain was attempting to protect itself from its terrible reality by creating a hallucination where the vampire was by her side. She wasn't alone.

The faeries laughed at her actions.

"Look at her. She's lost it finally." Neave shrieked in delight. "Worthless human"

Sookie's eyes rolled back into her head and she mercifully lost consciousness before Lochlan could bring out the nails he'd been heating in the fire. He had an urge to enjoy the sweet-sickening smell of human flesh while it burned.

XxXxX

Faerie's cloudless, blue sky was truly a distressing sight.

Eric was so eager to find Sookie that the jump did not make him sick for once. He and Claudine landed on the soft grass that surrounded Neave and Lochlan's immense house. Inside its deepest bowels was the cell where they'd been kept him all those years ago.

The vampire was certain that she was there. Neave was malicious and she would have enjoyed telling Sookie that he'd been trapped in that place as well all those years ago. She would no doubt describe to Sookie the torture he'd been forced to endure in an effort to scare her even more. He hoped that his mistress had been capable of enduring such an attack. He prayed that he wasn't too late.

Without hesitation Eric rushed to the entrance. Claudine followed him closely behind. As much as she wanted to be near Eric the proximity of Breandan's enforcers was a disturbing thing. The twins legendary brutality was well known and she had no intention of ever being within striking distance of either of them.

Eric had no such deterrent. He pulled at the door until the wood gave away. He rushed inside and Claudine was forced to follow. She hoped, for his sake, that they weren't too late. The faerie had a premonition that Eric's own survival depended on finding his mistress alive.

TBC. Squeeee. I've been invited to take part of the author's spotlight at Fangreaders blogspot. Please join me in discussing my story on Friday August 12th at 9:00 EST. If you haven't signed up to the Fangreaders Chat Room, go to this website : http: / / Fangreader (without spaces). I would love to hear from you. Since I am so very pleased by this invitation that I have it mind to finish Vampire Mine by that date so expect a deluge of chapters in the coming days. I will do my best to post the final chapter after the chat is concluded as a thank you to everyone that has kept up with this strange, angsty tale.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Sookie's respite was short lived as the pain brought her back to reality. Her half-lidded eyes focused on the dark shadow slowly creeping up on her faerie torturers. She held her breath as the image became clearer and she recognized the black Fangtasia shirt and blond hair.

He was here. He'd come for her.

The female faerie was distracted by the soft flesh on her upper arm. She'd bitten off a large chunk of it already and was working on another. Her brother was fascinated by her bare breasts and was tracing its generous contours with his knife. Overcome by their bloodlust neither noticed the vampire coming at them with raw hatred burning in his eyes.

Somehow Sookie found her voice and with absolute certainty she addressed the faerie siblings:

"You are going to die."

Neave's sharp teeth were stained with blood which made her grin all the more hideous. She was still wearing that grin when Eric ripped her head out of her neck. He threw the offending body part at the wall where it splattered before it dried into shimmery dust.

Eric was fast and strengthened by Claudine's blood. He was also enraged at the evidence of Sookie's torment. Her blood scented the cell that had seen his worst days. Decades ago his own blood had been shed in that room but the spilling of hers amounted to sacrilege in his mind.

Lochlan let out an inhuman roar and made a fierce rush at the vampire, head down and fist flailing. Eric retreated and dodged the shower of blows, letting the fae come on as hard as he could.

But as hard as Lochlan came, he got nowhere. Eric's reflexes protected him from the silver-capped teeth and claws. There was a blur of movement and a crunching sound that told Sookie that the fae no longer had any of those hideous teeth he'd priced. Lochlan staggered backward as a gush of blood streamed from his toothless mouth.

"Fucking slave" he said between sputters of blood and teeth.

Eric growled and landed a sequence of blows that brought his former tormentor to his knees. Still, Lochlan kept rising and lashing at the vampire. The faerie could not give credence to the fact that his former prisoner who'd suffered so exquisitely at his hand was now challenging because of one human girl.

His beloved sister was a pile of dust. Such things went against the order of nature. He renewed his attack with fervor.

For a few seconds it seemed like he would be successful as Eric was slowing down. At the realization Sookie moaned loudly. Eric energized immediately and finally pushed the faerie unto the floor sinking his fangs on the exposed neck.

Lochlan went slowly and painfully. He gasped as the blood was taken out of him until the veins collapsed and the heart shut down. His body dissolved into dust.

Eric rose quickly and rushed to his mistress. He fell to his knees before her. She was so hurt and weakened that he feared she would not last much longer. Tenderly he nuzzled her neck which was one of the few parts that had been spared by the brutal siblings. Sookie's eyes filled with tears.

"I knew you would come" she whispered.

The vampire nodded and cradled her into his arms. She was light in his embrace and the blood from her wounds seeped sluggishly. She would have scars to rival his if she survived. The thought made him sad. His Sookie was flawless and he'd failed to protect her.

He deserved to be back in the hole where he'd spent his first months as a slave. He deserved to be left in this cell for the remainder of his miserable life.

His lips pressed lightly on the skin of her arm. A large chunk of flesh was missing from this part and he worked his tongue around it until the skin began to repair itself. Without lifting his head he continued on this journey across her flesh. Each wound received the gentle attention of his mouth

At last the injuries had been taken care of and Eric rose to his feet while still holding his precious cargo. Sookie smiled softly at her savior. Her vampire.

He was hers and she would be his, of that she had not doubt. The thought was a sweet ache of hope and gratitude all at once. She longed to tell him but words failed her at the moment.

Sookie went to sleep in his arms. The certainty that she would awaken in them soothed her spirit and made her dreams peaceful.

XxXxXx

Sookie slept for two days awoke in her bed to her Gran's worried smile. The elderly lady eased her granddaughter into her embrace being careful not to jar her overmuch. She was still tender from her dreadful wounds she'd incurred.

"I never thought I would see you again" Sookie admitted between sobs.

Gran wiped the tears away with a linen handkerchief. "The Lord almighty answered our prayers child."

The girl nodded. "He did when he sent Eric to me." She looked at the open window. It was late afternoon. "Is he still resting Gran? I need to see him."

A new sadness settled on the woman's face. "No child. Your Eric was taken back to Faerie. "

TBC.

I hate to leave it at this but I'm about to keel over. I'll do my best to have another chapter out today. To those that commented on Eric not being able to keep his promise to Claudine remember that he really doesn't belong to Sookie. He still belongs to Niall but he let his great-granddaughter keep him temporarily. I have a feeling that Claudine was able to appeal to the prince and won her case. Also Eric firmly believes that Sookie was about to pass him on to Pam in favor of Bill which I am sure played into this as well. Thank you for reviewing.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

It was early evening and Sookie Stackhouse was standing in the middle of a desolate walk bridge over the Caddo Lake. She'd parked her car a few yards away and had been gazing at the still water as the sun made its descent and the night birds began their mournful songs.

The lake was deserted and its gloomy appearance fit her mood perfectly. Eric had been gone from her life for almost two weeks and the reality of it weighed heavily on her soul. She missed his smile and the way his presence made her feel whole somehow. She missed his devotion, his strength and even his ferocity. Sookie understood that she'd neglected him and pushed him aside in favor of a man that could never measure up to him. Bill was an important vampire sheriff but Eric was something much more exceptional. He was a survivor and he was hers.

So the guilt and the regret ate at her every hour on the hour. Then there was the agony of not knowing how he was. Had he been returned to a fresh hell after a too-short respite? Was he in pain? At last it proved to be too much and it had driven her to this lonely stretch of road to meet her destiny in the river's cool waters.

Without thinking about it anymore Sookie climbed the wooden rails slowly. The old structure gave a mighty groan but she continued undeterred until she was sitting on the topmost beam.

And then she let go.

The water was a shock and for a second she doubted the wisdom of her actions. She tried to break through the surface but the lake was deeper than she'd anticipated. Water rushed up her nostrils and through her open mouth making every breath impossible. She kicked and gasped but she could feel herself tiring. In a few minutes it would be all over.

There was a flash and then the feel of being lifted from the water. Sookie closed her eyes and allowed herself to be carried off. Her brief struggle had taken more out of her than she'd anticipated. Apparently she hadn't completely recovered from her ordeal with Neave and Lochlan.

Her savior carried her to the lake bank. He carefully positioned her on the mossy ground and opened her mouth with his fingers so that the water could be expelled while holding her to the side to make its passage easier. He pressed on her belly and she coughed up the liquid that she'd swallowed.

"Can you hear me?" The faeman called loudly. Sookie nodded her head through her strangled breathing. "I think I need to take you to a hospital."

"No hospital" she hissed.

"Okay but you need to get out of these wet clothes before you go into shock. Hold on to me tightly and I'll take you home."

Sookie did not have a chance to reply before the vampire that had been hiding in the trees rushed at him and looped an iron chain around his neck. The faerie staggered back and fell down on Sookie nearly crushing her under his weight. Pam lifted the man and cast him aside at a safer distance.

Sookie found her bearings and slowly stood up. She was soaking wet and shaking from the cold. Pam rolled her eyes.

"I have some dry clothes for you in the car. I anticipated that you would forget something so important."

Sookie looked abashed. "I really didn't have time to plan this out. It was kind of spur of the moment."

"Whatever. I'll take the fae and lock him in the trunk. We need to get to Fangtasia before the rush. I have in mind to introduce our guest to my newly finished basement and the delights he might discover there."

The human girl frowned. "No torture Pam."

"Crap you sound just like Eric, wussies the both of you. It will be just a little persuasion session then."

Sookie was not appeased and decided to watch Pam carefully. The faerie before her was her key to finding Eric but there had to be another way that did not involve the Neave and Lochlan route.

With that resolution in mind she followed Pam and their _guest_ to the latter's car. Her future and her hopes were entirely dependent on what happened in the next few hours.

XxXxXx

Pam was having a hard time keeping herself from draining the tight-lipped faerie. Only the fact that Eric's wellbeing depended on it kept her from sinking her fangs into the creature.

She'd chained the faerie whose driver's license identified as Preston Pardloe in a chair and have been threatening all kinds of bodily harm for the better of an hour to no avail. The fae refused to cooperate except to say that he was sent to guard Sookie Stackhouse.

What made it worse was that he smelled so wonderful that she wanted to rub herself all over him which was too humiliating for words. He wasn't even that good looking. Okay he was but she wasn't doing guys this decade.

Sookie thought him handsome and she might have been interested in someone like him in another life. In this life her entire focus was on getting her vampire back and the fae before her was standing in the way.

Pam had given her one of Eric's work shirts to wear and she enveloped herself in the soft cotton. His scent was still present in its folds and every so often she breathed it in. Her longing for him grew unbearable with each passing minute.

"Please Mr. Pardloe I need to speak to Niall." She pleaded unashamedly.

The faeman did not budge. "The prince has made a decision. The vampire will not be returned to you."

Pam growled indignation. "Listen you faerie boy. My maker is not your little toy to use as you wish."

"He is a slave."

The fangs came out. "And you are dinner."

"Pam!" warned Sookie.

Irritated, the vampire flew up the stairs and called out from the landing. "I'm giving faerie boy one hour to change his mind otherwise I'm eating him no matter what you say." she promised as she closed the heavy door behind her.

Sookie sighed and sat on the black leather sofa across from Preston. Pam's basement was packed with her collection of torture instruments and bondage gear but she also had some very nice furniture scattered about.

"Is there anything I can say to make you change your mind?" she asked.

Preston remained silent but she saw the answer in his eyes. Sookie wanted to cry. She was so tired and so sad.

Against her wishes her eyes fell shut and within seconds sleep had claimed her.

XxXxX

When her eyes opened again she was in a bed somewhere she'd never been before. Her eyes rapidly scanned about the dark, windowless room to no avail. She didn't know where the hell she was.

With some difficulty she pushed herself up to a sitting position. It was then that she realized that she wasn't alone.

There was a man lying on his side with his back to her fast asleep. Sookie's heart skipped a beat and she positioned herself to look at him directly.

Tangled blond hair fell over his brow, which in sleep was as smooth as an innocent babe's. His right hand clutched a corner of the pillow.

"Eric" she cried but the vampire did not awaken. She climbed over him and rolled him onto his back. "ERIC!"

At last the vampire stirred and his beautiful eyes blinked themselves awake. Even in the darkness she sensed that something about him was different. Something was wrong.

"My love" he said softly "I've missed you so."

Sookie kissed his face, his neck, his shoulders and every bit of him that she could access. He was still and accepting of her attentions but did not move very much. She grasped this and stopped midway.

"What's wrong? Why won't you hold me?"

Eric looked upon her sadly. "I just don't have the strength anymore."

"What? Why?"

"I'm dying"

TBC.

Thank you for your comments. They are very encouraging as we get to the final stretch. I figure that there is about three more chapters left and maybe and epilogue. I've never written an epilogue but I figure that this story might need one.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Ocella's parting words were inscribed in his memory.

"Behave and you may survive to see a change in your fortunes"

He tried, he really did, but he found that there was nothing left in him anymore. It had been too many years of shutting himself down in order to carry on for another day. Eric considered his life and found it to be joyless and paltry. There was very little that made it worth living and he was weary of it all.

His master had been wrong. There was nothing that he could do to change his circumstances. After more than eight hundred years of clinging to vain hope he had finally accepted this. It was time to let go.

Eric found some comfort in his sole progeny, his sole legacy. Pam would be the vampire he could have been if his master had not traded him away. Making her had been one of his few acts of defiance and he had no regrets except that he wouldn't get to see how remarkable she would become.

As for Sookie… she represented everything that he had been denied. He wanted her and ached for her touch but she would never see him as anything more than the creature she'd tried to save. When she let Bill Compton into her life he rightfully guessed that his days with her were numbered. Why should she want the slave when she could have the sheriff?

He didn't decry her choices although hearing her tell her grandmother that she'd rather have him live with Pam was a particular bad blow. The faeries had taken her before she could pass him on but he knew it was coming. Even as he saved her he knew that she wouldn't keep him. It didn't matter anyway. He loved her.

Claudine's bargain made him realize just how much. Without questions he promised himself to the faerie. He would have given himself up to Neave and Lochlan if it would have spared her the torment she'd been forced to endure. Their bloody end at his hands fed something raw inside of him. Deep inside of him lurked a strain of the Viking he'd been. In his mind she was his and his need to protect her overrode everything else.

But she really wasn't his and the Viking was just a slave who'd traded the little freedom he had away.

Claudine went to Niall and he acceded to her request only after her promise that she wouldn't drink from him again. Niall didn't want Eric with Sookie anymore and this gave the prince the perfect excuse to lock the vampire in Faerie permanently.

Faerie was a fresher hell than usual. He'd forgotten the loneliness and the sense of wrongness but now it was all he felt. With Sookie he was allowed to feed on her blood but here there was only hunger. Claudine offered hers but he didn't want it. The sustenance he'd survived on for so many years just wasn't enough anymore. So he grew weaker until one day he took to his bed and decided not to rise again.

He was done.

Claudine had railed and cried but he was unresponsive. He slept the days away but did not rise after the sunset. He heard Claudine's voice as if from afar. She felt her lips on his skin.

"Don't leave Eric. The human girl is not worth it. She doesn't love you and never has. Please give me a chance." She said brokenly but he didn't stir. Hers wasn't the voice that he needed to hear.

If Eric had opened his eyes he would have seen the wild look about Claudine's eyes. She was truly distraught about his condition. If he had been fae she would say that he was standing at the threshold to the Summerlands.

She left the room.

XxXxXx

Death for a vampire was slow and ebbing. Reality fell away replaced by a continuous dream state filled with broken images and memories of an overlong life. One moment he sat with his father at the warrior's table the next he was walking the endless circles around his master's keep. He relived the sensation of a dying Pamela in his arms. He could smell the ugly sickness that had settled in her lungs and would take her away unless he did something quickly. Then it was Sookie smiling at him from an open doorway. He could still smell the sun on her skin.

Good-bye Pam.

Farewell Sookie.

He fell a little more.

XxXxX

Claudine Crane's room had once belonged to her mother. It was large and filled with ornate furniture made by the best master crafters. Every corner had intricately carved rosettes and vines. In deference to her, Claudine had kept the room as it had been including its inordinate amount of mirrors none of which she could meet at the moment.

Her mother had always told her that mirrors always held a deeper truth than the superficial. If she really looked into the eyes of a mirror it would reflect the state of her soul. But she didn't need a mirror to tell her of the rot growing at the core. She knew it very well.

Eric had a few days left at most before his body simply flaked away into nothingness. He would die trapped in the life he'd been forced into so many centuries ago.

Fuck he didn't deserve it. No one deserved that no matter what their sins had been. He shouldn't perish alone but she wasn't the woman that he wanted.

_At least give him this last._ Her mother's voice echoed in her ears. _One moment of final happiness_.

Claudine rose from her seat and looked into the mirror. Her eyes were pained but clear. She knew the path that she needed to follow.

XxXxXx

His words cut through her like a sharpened blade.

"I'm dying" he said so simply.

And he was. There was little flesh left in his bones and his eyes were sunken. Even his lovely hair had lost many strands.

"Eric why is this happening to you? Who did this to you?"

He breathed painfully. "Nobody. It's my choice…for once it's my own will."

"What?" she said between tears.

"It seems that this has always been the only thing I could control. My exit."

"No."

She was so beautiful and she was here even if it was only a dream. "I love you. "

"I love you too." She replied.

"No you don't but thanks for saying it."

His eyes closed and Sookie had to shake him before they opened again.

"It's true Eric. You have to believe me."

Eric smiled softly. "I believe you."

"So you have understand that I cannot let you go. I don't think I ever could."

"I think it's too late" he whispered.

Sookie shook her head. She wouldn't accept that. No matter what it would take he would live… and he would live free.

TBC. I know that this chapter got nowhere but it's a little late and I have to work tomorrow. I hope I can have something out real soon.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Where the fuck is she?" Pam bellowed at the imprisoned faerie. They'd been going at it for the better part of an hour but the creature refused to budge.

She'd already broken his fingers and was considering turning her attention to his kneecaps. She thought she had a sledge-hammer somewhere.

With Sookie gone all restrictions fell by the wayside. If the faeman did not talk in the next few minutes she would string him up to the rafters and pour lemonade on him.

She needed to find Eric and now Sookie who'd banished into thin air. Pam had no idea how to go about one much less the other. It was too frustrating.

And fucking Preston Pardloe would not talk. Well she'd been patient enough. She went for the lemonade that Ginger kept in the staff refrigerator.

The faerie opened his eyes wide when he saw what she brought back with her. Even from a distance he could smell the lemons. Pam smiled, at last she had a reaction.

"Okay Mr. Pardloe , I think it's time for you to talk."

Preston swallowed and tried to steel himself for what was coming. The human girl had been pulled to Faerie of that he had no doubt. He wondered what the vampire woman thought that she could accomplish by learning of her whereabouts. It was not like she could enter Faerie. Only those with fae blood in them could travel to the realm.

What the unlucky Preston didn't realize that birthright was only one way to getting fae blood inside of you. He also ignored the fact that no force on earth could withstand a determined Pam Ravenscroft. He would come to learn both facts shortly.

XxXxXx

When Claudine finally made her appearance Sookie was ready for her. She was lying next to Eric who'd fallen asleep. For a moment she thought that he was gone but he stirred a little and she calmed down. It was better for him to conserve his waning energy she told herself.

The faerie was beautiful. She was tall and thin with rich black hair that she wore in loose waves. Her eyes were dark and shiny but it was her ears that gave Sookie pause. They were slightly pointed just like Niall's had been.

Yet, what set her off was the somber look about her. Whatever she may have thought about Claudine she discovered that the fae was suffering alongside her. She loved Eric as well.

So it was without preambles and without accusations that Sookie spoke to her.

"He won't take my blood. His fangs wouldn't even extend when I offered him my neck. What else can I do?"

Claudine glanced at Eric and drew her hand across his pale forehead. "I think you just did all you can." Her fingers traced down the line of his nose and circled his discolored lips. "He's so beautiful even when he is dying."

Sookie swallowed and looked away.

"How did you bring me here?"

"You have enough of the fae in you to make the passage possible. Niall won't be too happy about it but this time Eric supersedes any of the prince's edicts" she said bitterly.

Sookie considered that. "Eric told me that the faerie prince favored you. That he loved you more than any of his descendants and has always tried to please you."

"The prince has grown summarily disappointed with me. My feelings for Eric seem to disgust him. In fact I was surprised he allowed me to have him but I guess he wanted the vampire away from you more than anything else."

A shadow fell over Sookie. She'd counted on Claudine to influence the faerie prince but things were apparently much more complicated. "Niall is his true master right?"

"Yes."

"Therefore only he can truly free him?"

"I don't know but even if he could I doubt he would do it."

"Why?"

Claudine sighed. "Niall doesn't care for him. He's never seen him as more than a beast to be kept at heel. I daresay that he would be happy to see Eric die before he would let him go."

"I don't understand his cruelty. What purpose does it serve?"

Claudine sat on Eric's bed and combed the hair away from his forehead. The normally shiny strands were dry and brittle. "No purpose but to free Niall from a burden that was relegated to him with the crown. In all those centuries Eric's rebelled but once but Niall's never forgotten it. He sent him to be tortured after that."

The shadow grew darker. "Eric told me and I know very well what Neave and Lochlan are capable of. I've lived it."

"Yes but for him it was a lot longer. We had him shortly after that. I remember when he came to us he was so thin and worn looking that I couldn't believe that he really was a vampire. He would freeze at the slightest hint of anger in our voices. My sister Claudette found it funny but I found it sad so I tried to be nice."

"Are you trying to make yourself feel better? " Sookie asked coolly.

"No Sookie. I know my role in all of this. I'm just as guilty as the rest of them. I bled him regularly to satisfy my addictions. I made him do my bidding. I forced him here when all he wanted was to be with you. This is my fault."

"Then help me. Get me to Niall. I'll get him to free Eric."

"He won't Sookie, don't you get it? This is why so many of us are attracted to your kind. This is why we engender children with humans. You remind us how we used to be before all these wars made us cruel. We used to love. We used to love so much that our magic would fashion cluviel dors of unfathomable power. Now even that art is lost to us. Eric will find no mercy with the faerie prince."

Sookie shook her head in denial of what Claudine was saying. "I can't just sit here and watch him fade away. I can't accept that there is no other way."

Claudine looked at her straight on. "You must as you have no other alternatives."

They were silent for a few moments after that- each was lost in her thoughts.

Night fell and Sookie grew even more discouraged. The vampire looked even worse with each passing second. His skin paled even more and his flesh seemed to be melting way. It would be soon.

Eric's eyes opened suddenly and fell upon Sookie. The blue in them was dimming. "Min älskade. Jag måste lämna. Jag är ledsen." he murmured.

Claudine gasped and Sookie realized that time had run out.

The end was here.

TBC. Major tissue alert for next chapter but trust me. Thank you to WandersFar for the Swedish correction. Eric says: "My beloved. I must leave. I am sorry."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Adele's bones were as old as her sorrows. The climb to the attic had been difficult and painful but it needed to be done. Over the years she'd done her best to forget just what was hidden away amidst the debris of several generations of Stackhouses but she could not continue to do so.

Fintan had explained enough for her to know that the little relic she held in her hand was a true game changer. Inside the green and gold case was the only Cluvier Dor left in existence.

Its power was immeasurable. Fintan had taken many years and a great deal of energy to craft it. It was his insurance policy for his children and their descendants. He'd asked Adele to keep it safe until she saw that it was time to make use of it. With her granddaughter's happiness on the line that time had finally come.

The vampire and Sookie were connected and neither would be whole without the other. Over the months he had been living in her home Adele had come to view Eric as another member of her family. She saw the strength that had brought him this far but she also saw that he had been at a breaking point. Being separated from the woman he loved would shatter whatever spirit had been left in him. As for Sookie the guilt and regret would weigh her down. She had not realized how much she cared for Eric until he was gone.

So here she was with the only thing that might give them both a chance. The little green box hummed faintly with its contained power. It was warm to the touch and if she squeezed It in her hand it would glow slightly but it would not open as she did not have any faerie blood in her. Sookie did.

She'd debated long and hard about letting her have this. Use of such an artifact would forever tie her granddaughter to her fae origins. This was something that Adele had always wanted to spare her. She wanted her children and grandchildren to have peaceful lives away from the maelstrom of the supernatural world. Unfortunately she no longer had a say in any of that.

Adele hoped with all her human heart that her Sookie would be strong enough to withstand what was inevitably coming her way. With only her deep love of Eric as guide the path would be a treacherous and unforgiving one.

A loud knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Adele put the Cluvier Dor in the pocket of her apron and went to get it. What she saw when she opened the door was truly unexpected.

A vampire woman holding an unconscious faerie greeted her. The girl was carrying the man like a sack of potatoes and Adele winced slightly at this. She would bet her best cast iron pan that this was Pam.

"Yes?" she asked the vampire who was scowling. The woman responded by allowing the fae to fall into the floor.

"Do you mind if I leave this on your porch? He's not waking up anytime soon."

Adele looked at her curiously. "Won't he be more comfortable inside?"

"I don't care a bit about his comfort. This man in a faerie therefore part of those louses that kept my master at heel. It would serve him right to have a horrible painful death"

There really wasn't any reply to that statement so Adele simply said: "I see. Won't you come in Miss Pam? Sookie has told me all about you."

Pam stepped inside and peered at the old furniture and peeling walls. Her master had said that his family had very little money and she saw that he hadn't been lying. No wonder he'd had to work. I would probably take a great deal of money to keep this place from falling apart altogether.

"Please excuse the mess. I was preoccupied with finding something in the attic. Wasn't Sookie supposed to be with you now?"

Pam snorted "Well about that… how do I put it? Sookie's been taken by who knows what to who knows where but I daresay it's probably Faerie. The comatose worm in your porch knows for sure but he's not telling."

Adele blanched and would have fallen if not for Pam's quick thinking. As it was she had to let the vampire guide her to a chair.

"My Sookie. We must find her."

"That's the plan only I'm going to need some more info from you starting with just how the faeries are able to jump to their dimension. There must be a portal somewhere around here that I could use."

"No portal… only those with fae blood can travel to the realm." She said gravely.

"I see. I thought as much but wanted to confirm. Someday I'm going to have to ask you about the particulars of human/fae sex but tonight is not the time. I have to go drain me a fae."

Pam went out the porch only to be stopped halfway by a frantic Adele.

"There is something… I have something that you need to give to Sookie as soon as you find her."

The vampire peered at the old woman. She probably wanted to send Sookie a sweater just in case she got cold. Weren't humans dumb?

The artifact that Adele withdrew from her pocket shut her up. She'd never seen anything like in in her long life.

"What is it?"

"One last hope." Adele replied as the Cluviel Dor glowed.

XxXx

Eric died a little past midnight. He was looking straight at Sookie when the last bit of life left his body. Sookie and Claudine both sank to the floor before the fallen Viking. At last the pain had come to an end and he was free.

"Oh God Eric" The girl cried in devastation.

Sookie barely looked up through her tears when the air shifted and Niall appeared before her. This time he was dressed in his full regalia and was carrying a sword in his scabbard.

"What are you doing here now?" She asked with barely concealed anger. The prince had caused much of Eric's agony and was therefore directly responsible for his end.

"I came to check on my property only to find that he is no longer. Ahh well -we got a good eight hundred years of service from him."

Sookie rose quickly and slapped the prince with all her strength. How dare this monster say that? _Property?_ Eric had been so much more than that.

Niall did not flinch but merely stood still before the irate woman. From the corner of his eye he saw that Claudine was merely looking straight ahead and not reacting to what was going on around her. His granddaughter definitely needed some time away. Maybe he would send her to Paris for the shows next month.

He stopped Sookie's hand midway and forced her onto a nearby chair. This one he would keep here. It was time for Sookie to finally learn of her place in the world. He hoped that such knowledge would cure her of her unhealthy attachment to the slave.

Interestingly enough the body was not reducing itself to the splash of blood and guts that marked fallen vampires. Maybe it was a side effect of the faerie blood he'd allowed the vamp to have. Whatever it was he would have to burn the thing.

He was making preparations in his head when the air changed yet again. Pam the vampire materialized in front of him.

"You've drank fae blood!" he announced angrily as the woman rushed to Eric's side.

"Yes I did and it was delicious." She admitted as she peered at Eric. "What is wrong with him?"

Sookie did not reply but merely shook her head.

"It can't be…not now" Pam whispered. "He cannot be gone. It's not fair." Blood tears flooded her eyes. "I can't lose him again."

Sookie hugged Pam who violently thrusts her away. "Don't come any closer you faerie bitch. You pushed away and drove him to this."

Sookie sobbed. "I didn't mean to- I was so confused."

"Yeah sure, whatever, you didn't want him simple as that."

He girl was hysterical. "I want him… I need him- I would do anything to have him back."

"Well bitch here is your chance." She said and dropped the Cuviel Dor in Sookie's lap.

TBC.

Sorry for the long delay. Well I'm still debating on what will Sookie do with the CD exactly. Just what will she change in to bring Eric back. Please send suggestions my way.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The Cluviel Dor felt warm and she closed her hand on it protectively. Niall and Claudine stared upon the little green box with the utmost desire and she knew that they would kill to take it from her.

Pam rolled her eyes at the enthralled faeries. "You know very well that thing was made from pure luurve and only responds to that. Neither of you could make it do anything but hybrid girl over here might."

The faeries remained silent and weighted the truth of her words. The Cluviel would likely banish into the unknown if either of them were to simply touch it. The few that had been discovered over the centuries had met with a similar fate and thus there weren't any left in Faerie.

"How could she be the one to have something so precious to our kind?"

Pam looked at the prince straight on. "Your son made it for Adele Stackhouse and she decided to pass it on to Sookie. That's right, it was a half-breed who accomplished what other full-blooded fae could not. Quite the kick in your magical balls right?"

Niall did not reply and was clearly reconsidering some long held conviction. Pam turned away from him and zeroed on Sookie who was gripping the little green box as if her life depended on it.

"Well aren't you going to use it?' she asked the girl.

"I don't know how. I don't know anything about this."

Oh yes, Eric's precious Sookie was a bit of a dolt. She'd overlooked that. "The crux of it is that it can grant someone one impossible wish. Your grandmother passed it on to you so you could help Eric with it. She meant for you to bring him back from Faerie but I guess now you are going to have to go a little bit further."

Sookie gazed upon the lifeless vampire in the bed. For once he looked at peace and she thought what it would mean to him to be returned to this world that had shown him nothing but misery.

Would Eric even want to return after he had made the choice to let himself die?

All his life someone else had been making all decisions for him and he'd simply lived with the consequences. If she brought him back she would be following that tradition. She couldn't do that to him. She wouldn't treat him like anyone else.

Pam watched horrified as the emotions traversed through the girl's face. Little Miss Oblivious was going to ruin everything. "Oh come off it. I know that you're thinking that the noble thing would be to respect Eric's decision. Well Eric's decision was a stupid one and nor worthy of any respect."

"But it is his life."

"Like hell. Eric is my maker and he owes me. More to the point if you don't bring him back I will drain you, your gran and your little cat before the night done."

Sookie raised her chin. "I don't care that you threaten me but I will not betray Eric like this."

"Oh you f*cking bitch. How stupid could you be? Eric didn't die because of him- he died because of some senseless belief that he could not survive away from you. The idiot loves you for some unfathomable reason."

"I love him too."

"Then prove it! Go the underworld or Valhalla or wherever the hell may be and get him back."

Sookie opened her hand and the Cluviel Dor gleamed. The smooth feel of it was oddly comforting. She wished that her Gran were here. She would know what to do.

But in reality there was only one person who could really answer that question. Sookie closed her eyes and asked the Cluviel Dor for her request. At first nothing happened and then the little green box began to glow even stronger until its light blinded everyone around it. Sookie felt herself being taken in by the light and into the void that rose before her.

XxXxXxX

_Somewhere else._

Sookie landed on the snowy bank of a frozen lake. The trees all around her were bare but she did not feel the cold she should have felt. In fact she was quite comfortable in Eric's Fangtasia t-shirt which she still wore. The shirt's original owner was nowhere in sight.

She looked about. The scenery was very striking for a girl used to the Louisiana swamps. She guessed she was somewhere in the Viking country of Eric's memory.

Well then she needed to find him very soon. With that in mind Sookie walked towards the direction of the snow covered trees. Something told her that he would be there.

She came upon him sitting on a fallen log apparently resting.

"Eric!"

The vampire turned around and watched incredulously as she hurried towards him. She noticed the changes as she neared him. His body was bare and whole. Free of the scars that had marred the pale skin, free of the cruel brand at his shoulder and even of the thin lines at his hands where Claudine had sated her thirst for his blood.

But most of all his eyes were no longer weighed down by so many years of bending his will to that of others. They shone blue and clear of pain and humiliation.

"You are so beautiful" she said.

Eric pulled up his arms and prevented her from embracing him. "What are you doing here?"

Her face darkened at his rejection. Had his love died alongside his body? Didn't he care for her anymore?

"I thought you would be happy to see me. You said you loved me before you died."

Eric ignored her entreaty. "You're here to take me back aren't you?" he accused her angrily.

"No… well yes… if you want"

Eric shook his head. "At last I am at peace and you want to take even that away from me. Why would you do that?"

Tears sprung to Sookie's eyes. "No Eric I would never force you."

"This is punishment for leaving you and returning to Faerie right? You're taking me back to that hell. Are you going to chain me up in your cellar and keep me hungry until I go mad? Are you going to whip me?...burn me until I howl from pain? Or maybe just exile me from your life so that you can have Bill Compton instead?"

"You know I wouldn't"

He was livid. A lifetime of repressed anger washed through him. This woman who had more power over him than any of his masters was set on trapping him. "But I heard you tell your Gran that that was what you were going to do because I wasn't getting any better. Did you know how small that made me feel -how it cut me? Me the sad, pathetic vampire slave who would not ever dare challenge a sheriff because I had nothing to offer you except my loyalty and my body which you owned already."

Her voice was an anguished whisper. "And your love."

"So worthless that… the love of a slave for his mistress. But I did love you and I was happy to love you in silence and without hope that you would ever return that feeling."

"I love you Eric."

"Then go. Let me have my rest and you can live out the rest of your life with whoever you choose."

Sookie didn't say anything and extended her shaking arm at him. In her hand lay the still unopened Cluvier Dor.

"This is for you. I came to give you this."

TBC. I need a hug and possibly cookies. I literally made myself cry when I was writing this. I hope you don't find it too pathetic but what else was he going to say? I think he needed to get everything out before he can ever begin to heal and become the Eric he was always meant to be


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Eric looked around the wintry landscape. It was empty as his mind and his heart. No. His heart really wasn't empty. It was filled to bursting with anguish. The kind that ripped thin threads of fire down your insides. That took the blood out of your body and left you feeling sick and weak. He loved her and that love would be something he carried with him even after death.

But it was an useless emotion. There hadn't been hope for them when he was alive and much less now. He sank down boneless onto the log again. A look of uncertainty settled on his already troubled countenance.

"Do you know what that is?" he asked quietly nodding towards the green box in her hand.

"A Cluviel Dor" she answered without hesitation.

"You say it so simply as if where a mere thing of fancy. No my mistress, it is far beyond that and its power exceeds anything you can imagine."

Sookie sat down next to him. Her leg touched his bare one and the contact sent chills up her spine. "I know it can grant any wish."

"Why then would you give it to me?"

"Because I cannot stand to see you suffer anymore."

"I won't suffer anymore. There is nothing here that could hurt me."

The woman looked around the barren landscape. "There is nothing here."

"There is peace."

"And loneliness."

Eric shrugged and turned away from her. "The loneliness is bearable. I don't aspire to more than an end to what has been my life."

Sookie carefully placed the Cluviel Dor on the log next to them. Without hesitation she moved to touch him. Her hands rested against his curbed back and she pressed her face against the cool skin. "You deserve so much more than that Eric. You deserve everything that has been denied to you. You don't have to alone anymore."

He closed his eyes and tried to reign in his feelings to no avail. Even now she made ache with need. He'd quenched down his passion before but with her so close and willing there was nothing he could do against his own traitorous body.

"Sookie… please leave" he begged.

Her soft lips traveled down the bent on his spine. "No." she said against his pale skin.

It was too much. Eric hissed and maneuvered his body so he was facing her. "If you don't I will not be able to control myself."

Sookie studied his eyes, then touched his lips with her fingertip and rain it along the full, sensual lines as if she memorizing its shape. Eric shuddered and slid his arms around her and pulled her closer. She opened her legs and straddled his tights. Their bodies locked into each other as did their gazes.

A hot flush raced through her caused by the fact that she could feel the rise of his passion at the juncture of her legs. How frightening and exhilarating was this budding yearning. She wiggled a little and wrapped her own arms around him. "I want you to make love to me." She said softly.

He brushed the tip of her nose with his lips tenderly, tentative. "I dreamed about you like this."

She smiled lazily. "You dreamed about me?"

"Every day. In my dreams I wasn't your slave but your lover and you yearned for me as much as I did for you."

She licked her lips in anticipation. "I do. I yearn for you."

He kissed her and it was a gentle, slow, arousing glide of his tongue on hers, as if he were experiencing for the first time the sweet and succulent taste of forbidden fruit and finding it delicious.

Sookie closed her eyes as the blood rushed through her body into a hot pool as she felt his length expand against her sex. It was blissful. The sensation of him was intoxicating and she opened like a flower to the sun. Holding her breath, she slid closer to him. The act brought a tortured groan from him, a rich growl that was as primitive as it was sensual. _He likes that_, she thought and she wiggled some more to please him. He responded in kind.

Her hands had wrapped themselves around his neck but she let them slid down his back. His kiss ended abruptly and she pulled back.

There were crimson tears in his eyes. "Don't stop. Please don't stop. It's been so long since anyone touched me."

Sookie complied. A shiver ran through him, his face tightened with the agony and ecstasy of her caresses, filling her with a euphoria that made her heartbeat quicken. She marveled at the play of his muscles beneath her strokes. He gasped. To his hips… he groaned. To the tops of his hard round buttocks that flexed in reaction to being molded by her delicate hands. He trembled. He buried his face in her neck and clutched her to him.

He lifted them both off the log and with one fluid movement he had laid her down on a patch of new snow. Sookie sank into the crystalline softness marveling that she could not feel the cold. It was truly marvelous.

Eric pulled at the ends of her oversized shirt until she was free of the garment. The vampire felt his insides tighten at the sight of her exposed body. She was so beautiful and for this magical moment she was his.

Her legs spread invitingly and her head fell back. She allowed herself to drift with pleasure as he began to explore her. His shaking hands over and around and up and down her body, skimming her breasts, her ribs, and her waist, to her legs and in between. Sookie purred with pleasure.

Then his body slid slowly, gently into her, filling her up by degrees, stretching and driving. She tensed. He eased. A hot piercing, exhilarating ache shot through her.

"ERIC!" she cried as he began to move inside of her.

And in that moment of perfect communion she knew that no matter what he decided she would never leave him.

XxXxX

Much later when they were both sated and luxuriating in the afterglow of their coupling, Eric rose and reached for the Cluviel Dor.

"Is it really mine?" he asked Sookie.

"Yes." She answered without hesitation. "It is yours to do with as you wish."

Eric held the little green box and twisted. The jade lid opened slowly, yielding to his touch.

TBC.

Okay the plot was not really advanced at all because I am still struggling with Eric's decision. I really don't want him to wish everything away so that he never becomes the vampire he is now. I think that humility and his vulnerability have really made him rather special. However, I may have written myself into that. We shall see in the last two chapters which I will try to get out real soon. Thank you for all your comments.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

It was all about the blood.

Blood that bound him, that controlled him, blood that kept him tied to a cruel bargain. The blood that he'd spilled and his blood that he'd shed.

What then of his blood? His was the blood of a cursed man. The blood of a creature that had lost all its dignity when he learned to bow and scrape at the end of a whip. Was it worth anything? After centuries of living as he did was there really anything left worth saving?

He looked at her. She was so unsullied, so whole that it made him want to fall to his knees. And yet she loved him. Eric knew that now. Her body had joined with his and she'd let him inside to the most concealed part of her. It was a gift no less sacred than the Cluvier Dor she'd given him

Maybe there was hope.

Eric's eyes fell on the opened jade box. Round, larger than the palm of his hand. Jade, polished to a deep green that was almost black, inlaid with silver and faerie gold. He sent his wish to the little ball of light inside the metallic folds. The Cluvier Dor glowed brightly and disappeared into the air. Sookie looked at him expectantly as he rose.

His fangs extended and he bit his wrist until the skin broke and blood flowed from the twin wounds. Sookie focused on the dark red trickle as Eric knelt before her. A question burned in his eyes as he extended his bleeding wrist to her mouth and waited for her response.

Her heart clenched at his humble gesture. Even now he would not impose his will upon her. He loved her enough to respect her judgment. Without any doubt she pressed her lips against his wrist and drank deeply.

The tantalizing feel of her lips on his skin moved something in him and he drew closer. There were no boundaries between them, no doubts and no rejections. She was taking him and all he was inside of her. Never had he imagined that such a deed would be possible. He didn't think that anyone would want him like that.

Eric shifted his body a bit so that his face pressed against her neck. He breathed the heady aroma and nuzzled the soft skin of her clavicle. The blood flowing beneath it called out to him and his fangs ached to taste her. Sookie hissed in anticipated pain but continued to drink from him even as he pierced the tender skin.

The first drop was heavenly and he closed his eyes as her essence coated his tongue. He'd drank from her before but it had never been like this. Before her blood had sustained him but now it was joining with his own.

"We are now one" he murmured against throat. Sookie moaned in acceptance of the fact.

XxXxXx

Pam sighed for the umpteenth time. It had been hours since Sookie had gone to wherever stubborn, suicidal vampires went. Not knowing what was happening was really annoying. Equally annoying was being stuck in Faerie with thickheaded prince and his batty granddaughter.

But even she had to admit that they smelled incredible.

The vampire pondered how fast she could drain the fae girl before Niall would zap her or whatever was it that angry faeries did. Even so it might be worth it. She really had it in for Claudine knowing full well what she'd put Eric through.

Maybe Eric would wish them all away. Now that would be something else.

Pam rose from her seat and walked towards the bed where Eric lifeless body rested. It was truly a disturbing sight. Her maker's form was thin and wasted to almost nothing. The skin was completely discolored and the shadows beneath his closed eyelids looked like bruises.

"He wouldn't feed" Claudine whispered from her spot on the floor. "I tried giving him my blood but he wouldn't touch it even as he lay dying."

Pam snorted. "He wants nothing to do with you. You can throw yourself at him as many times as you want but he will always reject you. Haven't you realized that by now?"

The faerie buried her face on her folded arms. Shame and regret burned in her throat. "I know." she whispered.

"If you knew than why did you take him away from the human girl?"

"I was foolish. I thought that I could make him forget her but he let himself fade away instead."

Niall 's eyes flashed with indignation but he remained silent. There was nothing to add to the conversation. Claudine had been blind and the vampire would probably use the Cluvier Dort to make all his tormentors pay.

They were silent after that. The hours passed slowly as the wait continued.

It was Pam who noticed the slight movement in Eric's right hand. His fingers trembled as the joints shuddered back to life.

"Eric?"

Claudine rose quickly and rushed to his side in time to see the eyes flutter open. She gasped at their brilliant blue color so unlike the faded greyish hue that she'd grown accustomed to. Her consternation grew as she took in the soft flush that gradually settled his normally pale skin. If she did not know any better she could have sworn that she was looking at human skin. Her hand closed on his wrist. It was warm. The blood was clearly pulsing. "How?"

"Crap" said Pam. "You loved her that much?" she asked in disgust.

He did not reply but rose to a sitting position and looked about the room for her. His gaze landed on the fae prince instead.

"Master" he whispered before he caught himself. "Niall" he amended instead.

The prince pursed his mouth and narrowed his eyes. The filthy vampire had not only been brought back but he'd been brought back to life itself. How dare he? It was an affront to the ways of the world.

Niall bared his teeth at the prone man. His voice was gnarled and angry. "No matter what form you may take you will always be the creature that crawled on its belly for centuries. You will always be nothing but a slave."

Eric drew in breath and with considerable effort swung his legs to the side of the bed. The limbs felt weak but he pushed on. With deliberate movements he rose and slowly walked towards his tormentor until they were face to face.

The urge to drop his gaze was there but Eric ignored it. Now was the time to remain firm and unbowed.

"Never again." He said without hesitation.

TBC

I apologize for the long wait but my muse took an extended vacation. I could not get past the first paragraph which was really frustrating. Thank you so much to those that are still reading. One more chapter left which I will get out in a few days (promise).

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